Released: 2021
Morgan Wallen’s ‘865’ is a classic country ballad about heartbreak and the struggle to move on. It uses the metaphor of whiskey, specifically Jack Daniel’s (Jack D), to express the singer’s lingering feelings for a past love. The ‘865’ in the song title and lyrics is a reference to the area code of Knoxville, Tennessee, presumably the hometown of the girl he’s singing about.
In the opening lines, Wallen sets the scene with a glass of whiskey on the table and a phone lying face down. The ‘seven on the label’ is a nod to Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7, a popular brand of Tennessee whiskey. He’s trying to drown out his feelings with loud music, but the first sip of whiskey brings back memories of his ex.
The line ‘The Tennessee heat had me feelin’ colder’ is a poetic way of saying that despite the physical warmth of Tennessee, he feels emotionally cold and lonely without his former lover. He thought a drink would help him forget, but instead, it tastes like ‘865’, a reminder of her.
The chorus is a plea for the girl to come over, to give their relationship ‘a little closure’. The repetition of the phone number ‘409-1021’ after ‘865’ suggests he’s contemplating calling her, despite telling her he wouldn’t. The taste of the whiskey is triggering these thoughts and emotions.
In the second verse, Wallen acknowledges that she might not want to be with him and might advise him to stop drinking. However, he insists that changing his drink or brand won’t help because the memories are not in the whiskey, but in him. No matter what he drinks, he’ll still be reminded of her.
The final lines of the song reveal a hint of hope. Wallen admits that he might still be in love with her, suggesting that the taste of ‘865’ in his whiskey might be more than just a painful reminder of the past. It could also be a longing for a future where they’re together again.
