The Real Meaning Behind Brooks & Dunn And Luke Combs' '1, 2 Many'
Luke Combs is one of the biggest country music singers to hit the scene recently. He has even been lauded as one of "the most promising and influential new country stars of the last five years" by the New York Times. Not only does Combs have great musical talent, but he's commercially successful as well. His second studio album, "What You See Is What You Get," peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart, spending a massive 80 weeks on the list. Pair that with country legends Brooks & Dunn, and Combs is unstoppable!
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn rose to prominence in the country music industry during the 1990s. With a musical style that is "a winning formula of rambunctious, rocked-up honky tonk with punchy, danceable beats [alternated with] smooth, pop-tinged ballads," according to AllMusic, Brooks & Dunn have gone on to record some of country music's biggest hits like "My Maria" and "Ain't Nothing 'bout You," per Billboard. Of course, Combs and Brooks & Dunn had to work on a hit song together, but what's the meaning behind "1, 2 Many's" lyrics? Read on to find out.
'1, 2 Many' is about having fun, despite the consequences
It makes sense that Luke Combs would collaborate with Brooks & Dunn, so it was no surprise when they worked together on "1, 2 Many." Released in 2019 on Combs' second studio album, "What You See What You Get," "1, 2 Many" is his second collaboration with Brooks & Dunn, but what does the song mean?
"I like drinking songs," Combs said in a Facebook Live video (via Kase 101) when he first debuted the song. "I just wanted to write a song that I felt like my '90s country music heroes would be proud of. And I hope they would be proud of this song." Brooks & Dunn were certainly proud of the single, since they were on it, after all.
"1, 2 Many" contains a classic message in drinking away one's problems. The song's lyrics also admit to a blatant binge drinking, with lines like "But I can't turn it off once I turn it on" and "There's no stopping me once I get goin'," per Genius. Combs tweeted that "1, 2 Many" is "a song about drinking too much," but it also has a sense of nostalgia for the chart-topping country singer. "[It] takes me back to the '90s country music that I grew up listening to," he added. Even though the narrator of the song seems to need an outlet for his issues, "1, 2 Many" is all about imbibing some beer and having a good time.