Strength Not The Bottle

[Verse 1]
Boot prints in the gravel
Moonlight on my truck
Bible on the dash
Feels like it’s gathering dust
Phone lighting up the counter
Same old barroom crowd
I can almost taste that poison
Just thinking ‘bout walking out
[Chorus]
I am crying, asking the Lord
For the strength, not the bottle, to carry me
Hands shaking, I’m begging for more
Than a glass that just empties and buries me
On my knees in this kitchen
Every prayer, every breath that I’m wishing
Give me strength, not the bottle today
Lord, don’t let me drown it all away
[Verse 2]
Dad’s voice in my memory
Saying, “Son, be a better man”
But his picture on the mantle
Got a beer stain on the frame again
There’s a note from my baby
By the coffee and the keys
Says, “I love you, but I’m leaving
If that liquor loves you more than me”
[Chorus]
I am crying, asking the Lord
For the strength, not the bottle, to carry me
Hands shaking, I’m begging for more
Than a glass that just empties and buries me
On my knees in this kitchen
Every prayer, every breath that I’m wishing
Give me strength, not the bottle today
Lord, don’t let me drown it all away
[Bridge]
I could run to that neon
Or I could run to You
It’s a door and a decision
And tonight I gotta choose
So I’m leaving that cap on tight
Let it sit there and stare me down
If I get through this midnight
Maybe I can turn it around
[Chorus]
I am crying, asking the Lord
For the strength, not the bottle, to carry me
Hands shaking, I’m begging for more
Than a glass that just empties and buries me
On my knees in this kitchen
Every prayer, every breath that I’m wishing
Give me strength, not the bottle today
Lord, don’t let me drown it all away (oh Lord)
Give me strength, not the bottle today
Teach these trembling hands to stay

country, Moody country-trap crossover, male vocals. Clean picked acoustic guitar and warm pads over a slow, knocking low-end groove. Verses stay close and confessional with sparse chords; chorus widens with stacked harmonies and a simple sing-along top line. Subtle slide guitar swells and organ lifts the hook; keep the vocal raw and cracked, right up in the listener’s ear.