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Close Out 2024 By Blasting Turnpike Troubadours’ “Ringing In The Year”
Happy New Year's Eve.
Is it just me, or does writing a blog about 2024 wrapping up feel criminal? It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the start of the year and looking forward to all of the country music that would be released over the year.
While 2024 gave us some great music, like Brooks & Dunn releasing Reboot II, Benjamin Tod and The Lost Dog Street Band giving fans new records, and the rise in fame of Zach Top, who revived the traditional '90s country sound, it also gave us some unexpected moments. From Beyoncé's so called "country" record, Post Malone finally giving us his debut country album, Garth Brooks being accused of sexual assault, to Zach Bryan getting "canceled" for accusations from his ex-girlfriend, leading Barstool CEO Dave Portnoy to release a diss track, Jamey Johnson was arrested AND released his first album in 14 years... it was filled with some wild cards.
All in all, though, I'd say 2024 was a solid year all around, and the world didn't burn down with it being an election year, so let's cheers to that.
While many of us spend the final day of the year prepping for another busy calendar year or reminiscing on memories made over the last 365 days, we here at Whiskey Riff are spending another day blasting sad country music songs. Because let's say it all together now...."Sad country songs make me so very happy."
There is no better choice than to fire up Turnpike Troubadours' "Ringing In The Year" to your listening today as it's the perfect end-of-year heartbreaker. The song details a man who is lost without the woman he loves, and he is another year with a bottle, hoping that his former lover still thinks about them, hoping one day they will find their way back to each other.
"Well, the fool I loved in Kansas was the fool I loved the best
You a fool enough to fall in love with me
We were two tornadoes touching down out in the old Midwest
And we did our best at dodging the debris
Well, won't you miss your whiskey in the wintertime, my dear
The way that I've been missing you this fall?
And cheap champagne don't dull the pain of ringing in the year
Wondering if you think of me at all..."
Released in 2015 as a part of their self titled Turnpike Troubadours album, it's probably one of the most underrated tunes in their catalog, a definitely slept on deep cut from the Tulsa, Oklahoma, band.
And here's a fun fact, if you fire up the album precisely at 11:43 and 26 seconds, you'll hear Evan singing about ringing in the year in the chorus, right at the stroke of midnight.
https://twitter.com/WhiskeyRiff/status/1741671747429023803
"Ringing In The Year" is sad country perfection, and it's the perfect track to fire up in these final hours of 2024. Cheers to a great year, and here's to looking forward to more great country music and moments in 2025.
Turn this one all the way up today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYgW7OuH43o