“This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me” is one of the finest deep cuts from Dwight Yoakam. Written and recorded by Yoakam himself, the song appears on his second studio album, Hillbilly Deluxe, released in 1987. Although it was not released as a major charting single, it became a fan favorite and perfectly showcased the traditional honky-tonk sound that helped establish Dwight Yoakam as one of country music’s leading neo-traditional artists.
At its heart, “This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me” is a classic country story about heartbreak, loneliness, and the destructive comfort of alcohol.
The narrator finds himself unable to escape the pain of a lost love. Turning to whiskey offers only temporary relief, and he realizes that every drink pushes him further into despair instead of helping him heal. The song captures the emotional conflict between wanting to forget and knowing that some memories refuse to fade.
The title is both direct and deeply symbolic.
“This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me.”
While it speaks literally about excessive drinking, it also serves as a metaphor for emotional self-destruction. The narrator understands that his greatest danger is not only the bottle itself, but the grief that keeps leading him back to it.
Dwight Yoakam delivers the song with remarkable authenticity.
His distinctive high-lonesome voice conveys equal measures of sorrow and resignation, making every lyric feel honest and believable. Rather than exaggerating the pain, Yoakam relies on subtle emotion, allowing the song’s timeless message to resonate naturally.
Musically, “This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me” is a textbook example of the Bakersfield Sound revival. Twangy Fender Telecaster guitar, expressive pedal steel, fiddle, honky-tonk piano, and a steady shuffle rhythm create an arrangement that recalls the classic country recordings of the 1950s and 1960s while maintaining Dwight’s unmistakable style. Produced by longtime collaborator Pete Anderson, the recording reflects the raw honesty that became a hallmark of Yoakam’s early work.
Hillbilly Deluxe became Dwight Yoakam’s second consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard Country Albums chart and produced four Top 10 country singles, including “Little Ways,” “Please, Please Baby,” “Little Sister,” and “Always Late with Your Kisses.” Although “This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me” closed the album rather than becoming a hit single, it remains one of its most emotionally compelling tracks.
Nearly four decades later, “This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me” continues to be appreciated by fans of traditional country music for its honest storytelling and timeless honky-tonk sound. It stands as another reminder of Dwight Yoakam’s gift for blending classic country themes with heartfelt, modern songwriting.
And when Dwight Yoakam sings “This Drinkin’ Will Kill Me,” he reminds us that the deepest wounds are not always the ones we can see.
Sometimes, the hardest battles are fought quietly—between a broken heart, an empty glass, and the hope of finding the strength to move on.