Luke Combs is addressing a topic that is close to his heart with his brand-new song, “Joe.” The track finds the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year shedding light on the subject of sobriety and those who struggle with alcohol addiction in their everyday lives.
Combs,’ who co-penned the track with Erik Dylan and James Slater, says he was immediately drawn to the rough version of the tune upon first listen.
“When Erik Dylan sent me the work tape of this a few years back, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So, if you’re reading this and this song speaks to you, I hope you love it. This one’s for you,” Combs shared of the song in a press release.
Musically, “Joe” features simple percussion, filtered with strategic piano notes, as Combs provides a sincere vocal delivery. He tells the redemptive story of a man named Joe, who is optimistic after overcoming a battle with alcoholism.
Listen To Luke Combs’ New Song’ “Joe” Below
“I gotta job and my name’s Joe / Spend my days at the Texaco/ Never show up late / Never show up drunk / When I get half-lit, I’m a loaded gun,” Combs’ describes the character in the song before heading into the chorus. “Gotta couple good buddies that all drop-in / Say “it’s good to see ya brother, man how you been?” / I can’t complain, I’m doin’ alright / Sleepin’ pretty good, staying dry / Thank the Lord every mornin’ with a sweet Amen / For how far I’ve come from, how far I’ve been / So here’s too good days, where I’ve been / So here’s to good days, better tomorrows / And a light at the end of the bottle.”
“There have been some folks in my family that have struggled with alcoholism and addiction through the years,” Combs shared his personal connection to the track. “ I’ve got buddies who live a sober lifestyle, and I’m sure y’all know someone who has struggled with these types of things, or maybe you yourself do. This song is really important to me for that reason.”
Combs went on to acknowledge that country music has long been known for being a genre that centers around enjoying the good times while drinking a cold one. In fact, he admits that he too has plenty of beer-drinking party songs in his catalog, like “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “1 2 Many.” Despite all that, Combs says he wants to make sure those who are either sober or currently overcoming the dark side of alcohol don’t feel left out when it comes to listening to country music.
“Our genre has so many songs about drinking and partying, hell, I’m probably one of the worst culprits of it,” Combs shared. “There’s nothing wrong with that I don’t think, but sometimes I wonder what someone in the crowd who doesn’t drink or struggles with addiction is thinking or feeling when there are thousands of people around them screaming ‘Beer Never Broke My Heart’ or ‘1, 2 Many.’ I’ve always wanted a song for those people to have for themselves. To have a song they can sing at the top of their lungs and feel like they’re not forgotten.”
“Joe” is one of three songs that Combs released in anticipation of his upcoming album, Gettin’ Old. The track follows the songs, “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” and “Love You Anyway.” Gettin’ Old, due out March 24, meanwhile, is a companion to the country superstar’s most recent project, Growin’ Up, which spawned three hits, “Doin’ This,” “The Kind of Love We Make,” and “Going, Going, Gone.”
“This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now. One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through, or will go through,” Combs, who is gearing up to hit the road for his massive World Tour next month, explained, as he reflected on the album. “It’s about coming of age, loving where life is now but at the same time missing how it used to be, continuing to fall for the one you love and loving them no matter what, living in the moment but still wondering how much time you have left, family, friends, being thankful, and leaving a legacy. Me and so many others have poured their hearts and souls into this record, and I hope you love it as much as we do.”
Be sure to check out the full track listing for Gettin’ Old below.
GETTIN’ OLD TRACK LIST
- Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old
- Hannah Ford Road
- Back 40 Back
- You Found Yours
- The Beer, The Band, and The Barstool
- Still
- See Me Now
- Joe
- A Song Was Born
- My Song Will Never Die
- Where the Wild Things Are
- Love You Anyway
- Take You With Me
- Fast Car
- Tattoo on a Sunburn
- 5 Leaf Clover
- Fox in the Henhouse
- The Part
The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year will soon embark on a massive world tour that will visit three continents and 16 countries. The trek, which will be hitting stadiums and arenas across the globe, is set to kick off on March 25 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and wrap up in London, England at The O2 Arena on October 19.
Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry and Brent Cobb will serve as support on the North American tour date, while special guests on the Australian and New Zealand dates include Cody Johnson and Lane Pittman.
The world tour will visit 16 stadiums across North America, including Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, Kansas City’s GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium and more. Hitting three continents and 16 countries, the massive outing will also stop in Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, France and Belgium.
Ticketing information and additional tour details can be found at www.lukecombs.com.
Luke Combs World Tour Dates
March
25—Arlington, TX—AT&T Stadium*
April
1—Indianapolis, IN—Lucas Oil Stadium*
15—Nashville, TN—Nissan Stadium*
22—Detroit, MI—Ford Field*
29—Pittsburgh, PA—Acrisure Stadium*
May
6—Chicago, IL—Soldier Field*
13—Minneapolis, MN—U.S. Bank Stadium*
20—Boise, ID—Albertsons Stadium*
27—Vancouver, BC—BC Place*
June
3—Edmonton, AB—Commonwealth Stadium*
10—Kansas City, MO—GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium*
17—St. Louis, MO—Busch Stadium*
July
8—Tampa, FL—Raymond James Stadium*
15—Charlotte, NC—Bank of America Stadium*
22—Foxborough, MA—Gillette Stadium*
29—Philadelphia, PA—Lincoln Financial Field*
*with special guests Riley Green, Lainey Wilson, Flatland Cavalry and Brent Cobb
Luke Combs International Tour Dates
August
9—Auckland, New Zealand—Spark Arena+
11—Brisbane, Australia—Brisbane Entertainment Centre+
16—Sydney, Australia—Qudos Bank Arena+
20—Melbourne, Australia—Rod Laver Arena+
23—Adelaide, Australia—Adelaide Entertainment Centre+
26—Perth, Australia—RAC Arena+
30—Oslo, Norway—Spektrum
October
1—Stockholm, Sweden—Annexet
4—Copenhagen, Denmark—Vega
6—Hamburg, Germany—Barclays Arena
7—Amsterdam, Netherlands—AFAS Live
8—Paris, France—La Cigale
10—Zurich, Switzerland—The Hall
11—Brussels, Belgium—Ancienne Belgique
13—Dublin, Ireland—3Arena
14—Belfast, N. Ireland—SSE Arena
16—Glasgow, Scotland—OVO Hydro Arena
17—Manchester, England—AO Arena
19—London, England—The O2 Arena
+with special guests Cody Johnson and Lane Pittman
