Luke Combs Talks Inspiration Behind New Song “Joe”

Country sensation Luke Combs has officially released the already fan-favorite track, “Joe.”

First introduced to fans during a live performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage, “Joe” struck a chord with listeners immediately. Made a couple wrong turns / Did county time / I do everything I can to stay between the lines, Combs sings, introducing a character and his battle with alcoholism.

“There’s been a bunch of folks in my family that have struggled with alcoholism and things at times,” Combs explained of the song’s inspiration on Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen. “You know, our genre is so centric around drinking and partying and having a good time, and alcohol is always associated with that,” he continued, detailing country music’s penchant for good timin’ tunes.

“And hey, listen,” he added, “I like to drink, but I always think about… I have some friends that live that sober lifestyle because they kind of have to.” He explained wanting to craft a song for them because songs celebrating sobriety are rare in the realm of country music. “Being on the other side of that, I think, can be really hard if you’re a fan of our genre,” he continued. “And so I wanted there to be a song in there for those people, too, because I don’t think that they ever get spoken to very much.”

So here’s to good days, better tomorrows / And a light at the end of the bottle, Combs sings in the chorus of “Joe”. Watch him perform the song live at the Grand Ole Opry, below, and tune in to Today’s Country Radio on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. Eastern to hear more about “Joe.” Combs’ full conversation with Kelleigh Bannen will air soon on Apple Music Country.

Set to appear on his upcoming fourth studio album, Gettin’ Old, “Joe” follows the previously dropped singles “Love You Anyway” and “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old.”

“This album is about the stage of life I’m in right now,” Combs shared of the forthcoming album in a statement. “One that I’m sure a lot of us are in, have been through or will go through. 

“It’s about coming of age,” he detailed, “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.”

The album, set to drop on March 24, will be the follow-up to his 2022 release, the Grammy-nominated Growin’ Up.

Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images