Story behind the Song – A Bottle of Beer, A Picture of You

My musical tastes are very diverse, covering the spectrum from classical and new age to jazz, country, rock, heavy metal, and many of the genres in between.  I’ve always enjoyed composing across these various styles, as each has something different and unique to offer.  While I am not a lyricist, country music has always been appealing to me because of the crafting of the lyrics and the word plays that are so common.  I suppose I’m easily amused, as lyrics such as “Since my Phone still ain’t ringin’, I assume it still ain’t you” (Randy Travis) or “If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me” (The Bellamy Brothers) never fail to make me laugh.

 While I’ve never taken a country song from genesis to a finished recording, I have dabbled with the genre.  My two most successful attempts to date – based solely on my personal amusement at the lyrics – are “Keeping Coors in business tonight” and “She got the dog house, I got the bone”.

 “A Bottle of Beer, A Picture of You” started out as yet another foray into country music.  While driving around one day, the lyrics began rattling around in my head.  The story involves a man sitting in a bar drinking beer while staring at a picture of the girl who recently dumped him.  It begins sadly, as the man laments the loss of all the hopes and dreams that he had for himself and his ex.  However, the story is transformed mid-way through the song, when a beautiful model enters the bar and is enamored with our lonely hero.  She shows her interest by, naturally, buying a pitcher of beer and offering to share it with the man.  He of course takes her up on this offer, and discreetly slides the once-valuable picture off to the side….his mourning is most certainly over.

 At this point, the lyrics change from

 “A bottle of beer, a picture of you”

to

“A model is here with a pitcher of brew”

 After reading that last line, I think everyone will agree that my future as a country lyricist is not bright.

 Fortunately, while the lyrics never went anywhere, the tune that I came up with turned out quite well.  (In my humble opinion.)  When recording Along the Curve, I decided that this would be a nice way to end the album.  As Kathy Parsons so perfectly described it, this song ends the CD with “a wink and a smile”.

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