Tequila is among the most popular types of liquor. For this reason, there are many songs about it – and no genre sings more about the blue agave beverage than country music. Here are the best country songs about tequila.
1. You and Tequila by Kenny Chesney ft. Grace Potter
Song Year: 2005
Kenny Chesney must love tequila because he has several songs about the popular beverage.
Unlike Tequila Loves Me, this song isn’t about a breakup but the beginning of a relationship. The song’s narrator maintains that tequila and the woman he loves have the same liberating effect on him. The song’s extended metaphor focuses on the disinhibition of drinking—and love.
It’s a beautiful song with a catchy melody, and Kenny Chesney’s rich, expressive voice harmonizes perfectly with Grace Potter’s smooth crooning.
2. Tequila by Dan + Shay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4qgqNS_20s
Song Year: 2005
From the famous country music duo Dan + Shay comes a song that is as profound as fun.
This song is about a man trying to forget an ex-girlfriend—sound familiar? He turns to tequila in her absence, but it only reminds him more of their past together.
Ultimately, he realizes that he still isn’t over his ex and laments her loss.
Dan + Shay is a country pop group comprised of Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney. They have released four albums to date and hark from Nashville, Tennessee.
3. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off by Joe Nichols
Song Year: 2005
This song touches on the universal experience of letting loose after a few drinks. In Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off, Joe Nichols sings about a woman who loves the blue agave drink and makes terrible decisions. She loses various items of clothing and accessories throughout the evening, ending up completely naked.
Joe Nichols is a country music artist and producer from Arkansas. He made his debut in 1996 when he signed with Intersound and Giant. Nichols is known for his genre-bending style and melding of tradition and contemporary sound.
3. Straight Tequila Night by John Anderson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1AYz95sc9g
Song Year: 1992
This song is slightly different from others in that it’s told from a young woman’s perspective. The narrator sings about a woman who loves to go out and party. She likes to drink and dance, but if you give her tequila, she succumbs to the memories of the one she loved and lost. Then, she fights with other people at the bar because of her broken heart.
Although this song sounds pretty upbeat, it’s quite sad.
Drawn from Anderson’s 1992 album, Seminole Wind, the song reflects the quintessential sound of 90s country music.
4. Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo by Tracy Byrd
Song Year: 2002
Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo is the third single from Tracy Byrd’s Ten Rounds album. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks—and peaked at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This is about a young man going to a bar to forget his ex-girlfriend. After one round of tequila, he already feels better, but as the night goes on, he makes some questionable decisions.
This song is fun, upbeat, and makes for a fun drinking game—although drinking more than ten rounds of Jose Cuervo (as this narrator does) is hardly a good idea.
5. Tequila on Ice by Daryl Worley
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o15TgeAeKQw
Song Year: 2009
This beautiful, luminous song reminds one of the bright summer days—and it’s no wonder it’s yet another song about tequila and love.
This song is about a man who has spent his life searching for love in vain. At last, he meets the woman of his dreams in Cancun, Mexico. He spends time with her there, sitting in a hammock and stroking the young woman’s hair.
Daryl Worley is a country music singer who signed for Dreamworks Records in Nashville. Since 1999, he has been making popular music that pushes the boundaries of the country genre.
6. Tequila Loves Me by Kenny Chesney
Song Year: 2005
This song is among the best songs about the Mexican beverage. Tequila Loves Me is about a slighted man whose only love in the world is tequila. Despite his lack of success with women, he can always turn to his trustworthy bottle for solace.
Kenny Chesney’s hit song has a mournful melody and a slow rhythm that echoes the great depth of its lyrics. It’s a great song to sing to—and an even better one to drink.
Kenny Chesney is among the most successful country music artists. He has produced ten albums and boasts 32 Billboard Hot 100 songs.
8. Tequila Sunrise by The Eagles
Song Year: 1973
The Eagles aren’t necessarily recognized for their country music. This rock band from the 70s has won six Grammy Awards and five American Music awards—primarily for their rock songs.
But Tequila Sunrise is one of those songs that straddles several different genres.
This song, from the album Desperado, is about a young working man trying to make ends meet. He reflects on his dreams, which he has deferred in favor of financial security, and drinks tequila as he reminisces about the woman he once loved.
9. Jose Cuervo by Shelly West
Song Year: 1983
This song is about an experience most of us can relate to a hangover. In this song, Shelly West questions what she did the night before, nursing a painful headache and dizziness. She wakes up beside a man she doesn’t know and wonders how she ended up in that position. The song is addressed to Jose Cuervo, a famous brand of tequila.
Shelly West is a country music singer from Cleveland, Ohio. She is the daughter of country music singer Dottie West.
Shelly West enjoyed the peak of her career in the 1980s and retired soon after her mother’s untimely death.
10. Three Fingers Tequila by Mark Manders
Song Year: 2000
Three Fingers Tequila is Mark David Manders’ song from his hit album Chili Pepper Sunset. This song is about taking shots of tequila and growing increasingly disinhibited.
The narrator is in Mexico, partying with his friends, when he meets a young woman named Alma and has a one-night fling. But she asks him to stay in the morning, so he remains in Mexico with his newfound lover.
Mark Manders is a lesser-known country music artist signed with Big Karma Records. He has released four studio albums since his debut in the late 1990s.
11. Drinking Tequila by Jim Reeves
Song Year: 1955
This is the oldest song on this list since it is nearly eight decades old. However, it’s a testament to the fact that some themes reappear throughout music history; it’s yet another song about finding love at the bottom of a bottle.
After drinking tequila and romancing young women, the narrator has just returned from Juarez, Mexico. The song is half in Spanish and half in English, making it unusual among songs of its time.
It’s a joyous, upbeat tune that makes for an excellent drinking companion.
12. Tequila Town by Brooks & Dunn
Song Year: 1996
From popular country group Brooks & Dunn comes yet another song about nursing heartbreak with tequila. It’s one of the best songs of 1996.
This song is told from the perspective of a narrator who has just lost the one he loves. He finds her memory in mezcal, a type of tequila made of any kind of agave (as opposed to tequila’s blue agave). He reflects on all he has lost and anticipates pressing forward despite his pain.
Brooks and Dunn are a country music duo consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, who write their songs together.
13. How Much Tequila (Did I Drink Last Night) by Steve Goodman
Song Year: 1988
How Much Tequila (Did I Drink Last Night) is one of the best songs from Steve Goodman’s 1980s album, Affordable Art.
This song is told from the perspective of a man who has had too much to drink the night before. He attempts to piece together his evening, which he spent in a bar, drinking with another man. When he wakes up, he’s not even in his home—tequila seems to do that to people.
Steve Goodman was a folk and country music singer known for his famous City of New Orleans song. Born in Chicago, he died in Seattle in 1984.
14. Mexico, Tequila, and Me by Alan Jackson
Song Year: 2015
This song is about a young man traveling through the country to head to Mexico. He heads south of the border to meet his best friend, Tequila. He reflects on his apparent need to escape his problems and seek solace in alcohol.
The song touches on a theme we can all relate to: wishing you could simply leave the world behind and head to a tropical paradise to do nothing but drink.
Alan Jackson is known for his neo traditional style of singing and performing—and he writes most of his songs. Jackson has released over 16 albums in total.
15. Tequila Talkin by Lonestar
Song Year: 1995
This song is somewhat sad and sentimental—which fits its theme. It has an unusual keyboard solo that sets it apart from the rest, and the lyrics are profound.
In this song, the protagonist calls his ex-girlfriend to apologize for having phoned her the night before. He assures her that even though he may have said some things, he probably didn’t mean them. It’s a classic song about a traditional experience: sharing half-truths while under the influence.
Lonestar is a country music group consisting of Drew Womack, Michael Britt, Dean Sams, and Keech Rainwater. The group is known for its genre-bending songs that draw from country, hip-hop, and rap.
Top Country Songs About Tequila, Final Thoughts
There are many country music songs about tequila—more than are even on this list. This playlist represents the best of those songs, with artists from Kenny Chesney to Lonestar.
Listen to each song individually or make your very own playlist.