
Peak
28
Weeks
23
Score
2,490
Chart Year
2022
Like Walker Hayes' viral hit "Fancy Like," this song combines an infectious production with lyrics about everyday life in the south. However, rather than singing about dining out at Applebee's, the father of six gets more personal. He sings of parental anxieties: And I'm just tryna keep my daughters off the pole And my sons out of jail Insecurities: I'm just tryna keep my wife from figuring out That I married up and she married way, way down And his struggles with sobriety: Hey, I'm just tryna stay out of AA Hayes wrote the song with the track's co-producer, Shane McAnally, and with Luke Laird. McAnally also co-produced "Fancy Like." Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is an international self-help organization for those fighting the "battle of the bottle." Founded by ex-alcoholics Bill Wilson and Bob Smith in the 1930s, it features a 12-step program, outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction. Other songs inspired by Alcoholics Anonymous and its 12-step program include: "The Shattered Fortress" by Dream Theater. Drummer Mike Portnoy's "Twelve-step Suite" (also known as the "Alcoholics Anonymous Suite") is a series of five songs dealing with his struggles with alcoholism. They conclude with "The Shattered Fortress," which includes parts of all the previous tracks in the saga. "Fountain And Fairfax" by The Afghan Whigs. The title is an intersection in LA where Alcoholics Anonymous meetings take place at a church. "Higher Power" by Boston. The "Higher Power" is a concept in Alcoholics Anonymous in which members admit they need help from God or a "higher power" to overcome their addiction. "Blind Man" by Aerosmith. The song was inspired by lead singer Steven Tyler's recovery from alcoholism and his experience with AA. Part of the inspiration for this song was Hayes' near-relapse after his seventh child, Oakleigh, was born and died on the same day in June 2018. The evening after Oakleigh's burial, Hayes came close to drinking alcohol again after two years of sobriety. "That night I actually drove to a bar and I wanted to just get hammered and get in a fight, and I didn't have my wallet," he revealed on Apple Music Country's Ty Bentli Show. "And when I went home, I just broke down." "When I walked in my house, and I was so ashamed, I saw my wife on the couch all by herself. I was like, 'I'm so sorry.' You know, I left her alone to just go self-destruct," Hayes continued. "And she helped me. She found an AA meeting in Williamson County."
(One, two, three, four) Alright Coffee cup, cold and black Wish it had a little shot of Jack Besides that, can't complain Just tryna do the dang thing Might change the oil in my truck I ain't paying no thirty-five bucks Kids need shoes, mama needs Levi's And I'm just tryna keep my daughters off the pole And my sons out of jail Tryna get to church so I don't go to hell I'm just tryna keep my wife from figuring out That I married up and she married way, way down In Alabama where they love Nick Saban Tryna write a song the local country station'll play Hey, I'm just tryna stay out of AA (Hey, hey, hey) Ooh Well I gave up Skoal and cigarettes Now I'm just hooked on Nicorette Trying not to be like my old man But the older I get, the more I am Tryna get paid and a little love made, y'all Hey y'all, at the end of the day, y'all I'm just another John Deere guy (hey) Up on a tractor Tryna steer my daughters off the pole And my sons out of jail (sons out of jail) Tryna get to church so I don't go to hell (I don't wanna go) I'm just tryna keep my wife (hey babe) from figuring out (I love) That I married up (you're so fine, girl) and she married way, way down In Alabama where they love Nick Saban (Roll Tide) Tryna write a song the local country station'll play (I'm just tryna write a song) Hey, I'm just tryna stay out of AA Ooh, ooh, ooh Come on, bae, right here Said, ooh-ooh-ooh, tryna stay out of AA everyday One step at a time, y'all Life's hard, family's weird Sometimes you just need a beer Can I get an amen (amen) Man, I'm just tryna keep my daughters off the pole And my sons out of jail (sons out of jail) Tryna get to church so I don't go to hell (I don't wanna go) I'm just tryna keep my wife (hey babe) from figuring out (I love) That I married up (you're so fine, girl) and she married way, way down In Alabama where they love Nick Saban (Roll Tide) Tryna write a song the local country station'll play (I'm just tryna write a song) Hey, I'm just tryna stay out of AA Oh, hey, hey, hey, I'm just tryna stay out of AA Yes, I am
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 15, 2022 | 87 | 39 |
| 3 | Jan 29, 2022 | 98 | 28 |
| 4 | Feb 5, 2022 | 56 | 70 |
| 5 | Feb 12, 2022 | 59 | 67 |
| 6 | Feb 19, 2022 | 59 | 67 |
| 7 | Feb 26, 2022 | 53 | 73 |
| 8 | Mar 5, 2022 | 50 | 76 |
| 9 | Mar 12, 2022 | 43 | 83 |
| 10 | Mar 19, 2022 | 52 | 74 |
| 11 | Mar 26, 2022 | 41 | 85 |
| 12 | Apr 2, 2022 | 38 | 88 |
| 13 | Apr 9, 2022 | 35 | 91 |
| 14 | Apr 16, 2022 | 32 | 94 |
| 15 | Apr 23, 2022 | 32 | 94 |
| 16 | Apr 30, 2022 | 28 | 98 |
| 17 | May 7, 2022 | 35 | 91 |
| 18 | May 14, 2022 | 40 | 86 |
| 19 | May 21, 2022 | 46 | 80 |
| 20 | May 28, 2022 | 51 | 75 |
| 21 | Jun 4, 2022 | 31 | 95 |