Many songs are inspired and/or written by some form of deviant behavior. These songs usually glorify or condemn the behavior. The song “Alcohol” by Brad Paisely describes some of the effects and outcomes of drinking alcohol. I choose to write about the song “Alcohol”, because unlike most songs regarding a certain deviant behavior, I feel this song discusses some of the good and bad elements to drinking. The song alcohol was written as if alcohol itself could sing to an audience. The lyrics in the first verse are discussing how alcohol has the ability to alter your mental status, and cause you to behave in a way that you usually would not behave. It talks about the effects of alcohol altering your ability to make decisions about your actions that you might otherwise not make such as “starting a fight with somebody twice your size”. Alcohol alters your perception of reality, “making anybody pretty” is what some people refer to as “beer goggles.” This phenomenon is caused directly by alcohol. Throughout the song, positive and negative effects are discussed. Some of the positive lyrics include “making new friends, making bars lots of money, having fun in college, and helping white people dance.” Some of the negative lyrics include “causing breakups, being fired from work, and getting in trouble in high school.” Alcohol has been around for a long time, and has had large impacts on world history. The lyrics “I have influence kings and world leaders, helped Hemmingway write like he did, and I’ll bet you a drink or two that I can make you put that lamp shade on your head” give an idea of how alcohol was making it’s mark years ago, and how the effects still linger on today. “I’ve been known to cause a few births” is also a good example of how the use of alcohol can play a huge part in how one’s life can be changed through the effects of decisions made while under alcohol’s influence. I feel that the song “Alcohol” did a good job discussing some of the lighter effects of alcohol, but there are many larger consequences of consuming alcohol that weren’t discussed. Some of these topics include alcoholism, drunk driving, alcohol
