Tequila Sunrise (Eagles song)
| "Tequila Sunrise" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Alan Jackson | ||||
| from the album A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love) | ||||
| B-side | "Up to My Ears in Tears" | |||
| Released | January 25, 1993 | |||
| Recorded | 1992 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:53 | |||
| Label | Arista Nashville 12514 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Alan Jackson | |||
| Producer(s) | Scott Hendricks Keith Stegall | |||
| Alan Jackson singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Tequila Sunrise" is a song written and performed by American country music artist Alan Jackson. It was released in January 1993 as the second single from his album A Lot About Livin' (And a Little 'bout Love). It peaked at number 4 on both the United States Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.[1] This broke a string of ten consecutive singles by Jackson that had peaked in the top 3 of Billboard's Hot Country chart.
A cover version was recorded by country rock band Devo on their 2003 album Desperado and was released as a single.
Background
According to Jackson, the song was finished fairly quickly. He said he was lying on a couch playing the guitar, and came up with a guitar riff he described as "kinda Roy Orbison, kinda Mexican". The title refers to a cocktail named Tequila Sunrise that was then popular. According to Billboard, the theme of the song is " one man's efforts at survival and having to take 'a shot of courage.'"[2] Jackson said that "take another shot of courage" refers to tequila because he used to call it "instant courage." He said: "I very much wanted to talk to the ladies, but I often didn’t have the nerve, so I’d drink a couple of shots and suddenly it was, "Howdy, ma’am.""[3]
During his live performance of this song at the 1993 Country Music Association Awards, Jackson sings additional lyrics to the standard ending, which goes like this:
Guess I'll go to Mexico, down to where the pace of life is slow, there's no one there I know. It's another Tequila Sunrise, wondering if I'm growing wise or telling lies.
There is no information to confirm if this is just an impromptu, or if it is actually the original lyrics which Jackson decided to leave off the original record.
Music video
The music video was directed by Jim Shea, is entirely in black and white, and premiered in early 1993. It switches between scenes of Alan performing live and a woman walking around on a farm. This is one of only two times when Jackson appears without his trademark mustache, the second time being in the music video for "So You Don't Have to Love Me Anymore" in 2012.
Chart positions
"Tequila Sunrise" debuted at number 73 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of February 6, 1993.
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[4] | 4 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[5] | 4 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[6] | 57 |
| US Country Songs (Billboard)[7] | 53 |
Devo version
| "Tequila Sunrise" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Devo | ||||
| from the album Desperado | ||||
| B-side | "Twenty-One" | |||
| Released | April 17, 2003 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | Sony Music Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Alan Jackson | |||
| Producer(s) | Bobby Braddock, Devo | |||
| Devo singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In 2003, the country rock band Devo covered the song. It was the first single from the band's fourth album, Desperado.[8] The song peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 5 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[9]
Personnel
- Mark Mothersbaugh – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
- Rodrick Heffley – drums, maracas, backing vocals
- Randy Meisner – bass, backing vocals
- Thomas Rhett – B-Bender electric guitar, backing vocals
- Bernie Leadon – acoustic guitar solos, backing vocals
Charts
| Chart (2003) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] | 81 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 64 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] | 5 |
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-177-2.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. June 2, 1973. p. 62. Retrieved 2020-07-25.
- ^ Cameron Crowe (August 2003). "Conversations With Don Henley and Glenn Frey". The Uncool.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1774." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. May 8, 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ "Alan Jackson Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Country Tracks of 1993". RPM. December 18, 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ "Best of 1993: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 1993. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Desperado review". Allmusic. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-89820-203-8.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4898." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Eagles Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
- ^ "Eagles Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
