Back to the Barrooms Again - Merle Haggard - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Excessive alcohol consumption and country music go almost hand-in-hand. Since its birth in the early 1920s, the genre has made an art of drowning one's sorrows in a bottle through classics like Willie Nelson's "Whiskey River" or Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition." One artist that has delved deep into this oddly specific country tradition is singer-songwriter Merle Haggard, who released his 31st album Back to the Barrooms in 1980. Considered one of his strongest releases, the LP featured some of his most famous drinking songs, including "Misery and Gin," "I Don't Want to Sober Up Tonight," and "I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink," his only Number 1 hit for MCA. Despite not having been released as a promotional single, the track "Back to the Barrooms Again" echoed Merle Haggard's early honky-tonk days and fit perfectly with the album's themes of heartbreak and alcohol abuse. In the years that followed, the song became a staple of the singer's live repertoire and was covered by J.D. Crowe and The New South and The Wiseman Brothers.