"Praying Drunk" is a unique song. Mostly because I didn't write it. A good friend of mine, Michael Cassinari (who performs under the moniker Ancient Pathways Music) wrote this song. It was the first song of his that I really enjoyed, and so I told him I'd record a project if he would do this song. He then suggested I perform a version of it myself. So, I changed the key, a few of the lyrics, and here we are.
It's a pretty simple song as far as back story goes. If you grew up in even a moderately conservative, evangelic home, you'll know there is a deep roots stigma against alcohol consumption. Some never escape the negative connotations behind alcohol of any form. While I have never really struggled with the idea of responsible consumption, I know many do.
The whole idea of "Praying Drunk," is pretty self explanatory. The character in the story is drinking. He's self medicating. And through this journey of avoiding your problems by drowning them, he's starting to realize that the problems aren't just not going away, they're getting worse. At the bottom of his whole, he begins praying. To whoever will listen. There's obviously some pretty overtly Christian themes, but I don't think it's required to interpret the song that way. It's just a song about brokenness, and the wish that you could find a hope that isn't able to be ripped away.
As I said, I didn't write "Praying Drunk." Maybe that means it's a little less personal. Or maybe it's a song that I could have written anyways, but why reinvent the wheel?