Released: 2018
“Tequila” by Dan + Shay is a masterclass in the use of alcohol as a metaphor for memory and emotion. At its heart, the song explores how a simple taste can trigger a flood of memories, particularly those of a lost love.
The opening lines, “I can still shut down a party / I can hang with anybody”, set up our narrator as someone who’s got their life together. They can go through the social motions, drink any drink, be it whiskey, red wine, or champagne, without faltering. But tequila, that’s a different story. Tequila doesn’t just get them drunk; it drowns them in nostalgia, specifically for a past lover.
As the song progresses, we dive deeper into these memories. The mention of “Cuttin’ up the floor in a sorority t-shirt” and “Sky high in Colorado, your lips pressed against the bottle”, paints a picture of youthful love and carefree moments. The specificity of these details, like the sorority t-shirt and the setting in Colorado, emphasizes how certain objects or places can become so intricately tied to our memories of people.
There’s this bitter-sweet contrast throughout the song. On one hand, our narrator claims they can “kiss somebody brand new” without a second thought of their lost love. Yet, it’s when they taste tequila that the defenses come down, and all the emotional walls they’ve built crumble. The drink becomes a key unlocking a door to memories they’ve tried to barricade.
The bridge, “I ain’t even drunk, I ain’t even drunk / And I’m thinkin’ / How I need your love, how I need your love / Yeah, it sinks in,” reveals the crux of the song. It’s not about the physical state of drunkenness; it’s about the emotional state that tequila triggers. The taste alone is enough to bring the missing and longing to the forefront, proving how deeply love and loss are intertwined.
In essence, Tequila is a tribute to the power of sensory memories. Dan + Shay have craftily used tequila as a stand-in for the things that can unexpectedly bring our most guarded emotions and deepest memories to the surface. It’s a reminder that moving on doesn’t always mean forgetting and that sometimes, all it takes is a taste to bring it all back.
