Story Behind the Song: Luke Bryan, ‘Drink a Beer’

Luke Bryan didn't write "Drink a Beer," nor did the song's writers, Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton, write it specifically for him, but it's still a perfect fit.

Bryan, who connects to the song so well because he lost both of his siblings, recorded "Drink a Beer" for his 2013 album, Crash My Party. He released the song as the record's third single, and in February of 2014, the touching tune wound up in the No. 1 spot of the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The platinum-selling track also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and landed just outside the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 31).

Below, Stapleton tells The Boot how the song came to be.

Well, I have to give credit where credit is due: Jim Beavers walked into the writing room that day with basically the entire chorus of the song. It was probably my idea to make it a little bit darker, because the title, "Drink a Beer," might have made you believe that it’s something lighter, and it was probably my idea to make it about someone who passed away.

I kind of helped [Beavers] cross the finish line on it, and then we really didn’t think much more about it. I think we thought it was a pretty good song. But then Luke took it, and it really brought weight to it when Luke did it because of his family situation. So, once again, it was one of those things where the right artist and the right song turned into something special.

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