"If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)" is a song written by Harlan Sanders and Rick Beresford, and recorded by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist George Jones. It was released in January 1981 as the third single from his album '' I Am What I Am''. The song peaked at number 8 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' Hot Country Singles chart.

Background

By 1981, Jones’ career continued to thrive after the remarkable success of his #1 hit single " He Stopped Loving Her Today." After experiencing a lull in his career in the late 1970s, the song reignited the singer's career on the charts; in 1980, he scored a #2 hit with "

Two Story House "Two Story House" is a song recorded American country music artists George Jones and Tammy Wynette. It was released in February 1980 as the first single from their album '' Together Again''. The song reached #2 on the '' Billboard'' Hot Country Sin ...

," a duet with his ex-wife

Tammy Wynette Tammy Wynette (born Virginia Wynette Pugh; May 5, 1942 – April 6, 1998) was an American country music artist, as well as an actress and author. She is considered among the genre's most influential and successful artists. Along with Loretta Ly ...

, and reached #2 again with his rendition of the

Tom T. Hall Thomas Hall (May 25, 1936 – August 20, 2021), known professionally as Tom T. Hall and informally nicknamed "the Storyteller," was an American country music singer-songwriter and short-story author. He wrote 12 No. 1 hit songs, with 26 more ...

composition "

I'm Not Ready Yet "I'm Not Ready Yet" is a song written by Tom T. Hall. It was originally released by The Blue Boys in 1968, whose version peaked at number 58 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Country Singles chart. The song was covered by American country music artist Tam ...

." However, the upswing in his professional life brought little peace to his personal one; dogged by a years-old

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally for its euphoria, euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from t ...

addiction and a nearly thirty-year drinking problem, he continued to miss shows, engage the police in high-speed chases, and arrive at award shows obviously inebriated to accept honors for "He Stopped Loving Her Today." The despairingly hopeless "If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)" verged on topicality as Jones sang about falling out of cars at four in the morning and drinking "twenty bottles." As he often had, Jones played up to his demolished reputation with a mixture of sheepish bravado and showbiz practicality, writing in his 1995 memoir ''I Lived to Tell It All'', "Knowing what people thought about Tammy and me, I often changed the words of 'If Drinkin' Don't Kill Me' when I sang it publicly, particularly on national television: ''If drinkin' don't kill me, Tammy's memory will''...If folks bought my records because they thought I was breaking down, which I happened to be, so be it."

Chart performance

References

1981 singles George Jones songs Epic Records singles Song recordings produced by Billy Sherrill 1980 songs {{1980-country-song-stub