Carrie Underwood – Drinking Alone: Finding Connection in Loneliness
When Carrie Underwood released “Drinking Alone” in 2019 from her album Cry Pretty, it showed a side of her artistry that was smooth, soulful, and surprisingly intimate. Unlike her soaring ballads about faith or her fiery anthems of heartbreak, this song slowed things down and stepped into the quiet spaces of loneliness. It wasn’t about revenge or triumph—it was about two people sitting in the shadows, each nursing their own heartbreak, and finding a moment of comfort in each other’s company.
The lyrics tell the story of meeting someone at a bar late at night. Both are hurting, both have their own stories of loss and disappointment. Instead of pretending to fall in love or promising a future, they share something simpler: an understanding. The refrain “we should be drinking alone, together” captures that strange truth of human connection—that sometimes, even when we’re broken, we don’t want to be alone in our pain.
For older listeners, “Drinking Alone” carries special resonance. Many have lived through the seasons of heartbreak—divorce, the loss of a spouse, or the long nights when companionship feels far away. The song doesn’t glorify drinking, nor does it suggest easy answers. Instead, it acknowledges the quiet honesty of reaching for connection, even in unexpected places. It reflects the wisdom of knowing that while we cannot erase sorrow, we can share the weight of it.
Carrie’s sultry and vulnerable performance makes the song all the more powerful. Her voice blends both strength and fragility, as though she is telling a story she knows from experience. The jazzy undertones and dimly lit mood of the arrangement give it the feel of an old lounge ballad, something timeless and deeply human.
What makes “Drinking Alone” stand out is its realism. It doesn’t promise a fairy-tale ending or sweep the pain under the rug. Instead, it paints a picture of resilience in the smallest of moments—the simple act of saying, “You’re hurting, I’m hurting. Let’s sit here together.”
That’s why “Drinking Alone” resonates so deeply. For older fans especially, it reminds us that loneliness is part of life, but it doesn’t have to be carried in silence. Carrie Underwood gives that truth a voice, offering a song that is as much about healing as it is about heartbreak.
