After much demand, Jake Worthington has officially dropped his brand new track, “It Ain’t The Whiskey.”
Written alongside Will Banister, Jeff Hyde, and Roger Springer, this high-energy and infectious tune finds the Big Loud Texas artist and country traditionalist sharing his sense of humor while recalling an after-dark encounter with a cop.
Inside The Song’s Heartfelt Story
Confident that Worthington’s character has been swerving on the road from heavily drinking, the police officer in the song orders the singer to exit his vehicle so he can further investigate the situation. During the ordeal, Worthington insists his impaired driving isn’t from being under the influence, rather, it’s due to being love-struck over the woman in the passenger seat of his truck.
“It ain’t the whiskey that gets me lookin’ like I’m outta my mind / When she kissed me it hit me harder than some hillbilly shine / If you’re thinkin’ I’ve been drinkin’ there’s a little bitty reason I’ve been speaking just a little tongue-tied / It ain’t the whiskey, it’s the woman by my side,” Worthington sings light-heartedly, putting his timeless southern drawl on full display.
Between the tongue-in-cheek lyrics and a melody that includes various instruments ranging from a sawing fiddle and retro electric guitars to pedal/steel, and barroom piano, “It Ain’t The Whiskey” falls in the vein of neo-traditionalist artists and ‘90s throwbacks. He channels tunes like John Anderson’s “Keep Your Hands To Yourself,” Alan Jackson’s “Summertime Blues,” Randy Travis’ “If I Didn’t Have You,” and Hank Williams Jr.’s “All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down).”
Pulling Inspiration From A Real-Life Run-In With The Law
Interestingly, Worthington pulled inspiration for “It Ain’t The Whiskey” from a real-life experience he and his wife Sophie had. “The research department, as they say, sometimes it be that way,” the La Porte, Texas native said, sharing a hilarious moment when he and his wife had a memorable run-in with the law.
“A funny thing was around the time I wrote this, my wife came with me to go play a show in Texas, and we got pulled over speeding somewhere, anywho, long story short, that first year of being married to Sophia, we found ourselves in the back of a cop car,” Worthington told Country Now at Live in the Vineyard Goes Country. “It just created all kinds of a fiasco for us. But, months later, Jeff, Roger, and Will had called me up, and we talked about it. They had a pretty great idea, and I lived a little bit of it. So, that’s about it. It’s just a fun-loving song.”
Before releasing “It Ain’t The Whiskey,” Worthington drew support for the song from his fan base, testing the response with teases across his social media platforms. He garnered over 25 million pre-release listens through viral clips that he teased on social media. With the increasing fan demand for the track, Worthington knew it was time to finally drop it.
Taking the excitement even further, Worthington has treated listeners to the official music video for the track. Directed by Jay Curtis Miller, the cinematic clip guest-star’s Worthington’s wife, who mostly stays calm for her role before flashing her vibrant smile at the police officer. Worthington’s acting throughout the clip brings the story to life even further with his over-the-top facial expressions as he mouths out the words to the song.
“We had a lot of fun shooting the music video, and I am glad that they’re connecting with it,” Worthington said of the music video and his fans, who have embraced “It Ain’t The Whiskey” wholeheartedly. “I feel like any minute now, it is all going to go away, or something, but I just think it’s really cool. Thank y’all for listening to it.”
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Reflecting On Life As A New Dad
“It Ain’t The Whiskey” is Worthington’s latest track following recent collaborations with legendary hall-of-famer Marty Stuart on “I’m The One” and superstar Miranda Lambert on “Hello Shitty Day.” Music aside, Worthington has been keeping busy on the road and in his new role as a father to daughter Whitley Anne Worthington. He and his wife welcomed Whitley into the world on October 24, 2024.
Of being a new father, he shared, “It’s the best. I mean, just like anybody who brings a child into the world, a lot of things become your reality, and hits you right there in the face. The biggest thing I take away from it is I got to be who she finds in this life. And that’s a big old responsibility, and I’m proud to have it. And my wife’s amazing with her, and she just brought so much joy.”
Worthington is currently on the road as a special guest for Zach Top’s Cold Beer & Country Music Tour. After that, he will join Jon Pardi’s Honkytonk Hollywood Tour.
For a complete list of tour dates, visit Worthington’s official website, HERE.
The post Jake Worthington Explains How A Traffic Stop Sparked The Inspiration For ‘It Ain’t the Whiskey’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.
