Liquor Store Blues

Album: Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song about a fed up guy finding solace in drink is the second single by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, taken from his debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans.
  • This reggae-tinged jam features reggae artist Damian Marley (Welcome to Jamrock). Mars told 4music: "Being from Hawaii, the Marleys are royalty. Damien is incredible and he's got the talent to back it up. He's not riding his fathers fame. He's the truth. I thought it would be a dream come true if I could get one of my idols to be on this song."
  • The song's lyrics include such couplets as "I'll take one shot for my pain, one shot for my sorrow/Get messed up today, I'll be okay tomorrow." With perfect timing right after the track hit the Internet, news broke of Mars getting arrested for cocaine possession in Las Vegas.
  • Mars explained to The Daily News where the reggae/Caribbean feel in his music comes from. "In Hawaii some of the biggest radio stations are reggae. The local bands are heavily influenced by Bob Marley. That music brings people together. It's not urban music or pop music. It's just songs. That's what makes it cross over so well. The song comes first."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Graduation Songs

Graduation SongsFact or Fiction

Have you got the smarts to know which of these graduation song stories are real?

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.

Al Kooper

Al KooperSongwriter Interviews

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