Sober

Album: Fresh Start (2021)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • When Bailey Bryan appeared on the Songfacts Podcast, she said "Sober" is about "how being in love with the wrong person feels like being drunk."

    In the song, she asks her partner to "think of me when you're sober," which sounds like an alcohol-assisted encounter that at least one of them will regret in the morning.

    "You could listen to it and think it's about a drunk hookup," she explained, "but to me it's about being in the moment with somebody and being like, 'I love you,' but already knowing the reason it's not going to work. You know it might wreck you a little bit. Like being trashed, you know you'll feel it in the morning."
  • Released when she was just 22, "Sober" is part of Bryan's Fresh Start project, which came of a bad breakup that made her re-evaluate. "There were so many reasons why neither of us could commit," she said. "It was a year of my life being single but also being kind of in love with someone."
  • The music video takes place in the melancholy aftermath of a New Year's Eve celebration, with empty champagne glasses and deflated balloons, a metaphor for the come-down when an exciting relationship goes bad.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

Kooper produced Lynyrd Skynyrd, played with Dylan and the Stones, and formed BS&T.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke ParksSongwriter Interviews

U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.