Merle Haggard：Meaning of Must've Been Drunk Songmeaning

The song tells the story of two men who are at a bar and encounter a Salvation Army girl who tries to show them the light. The men are drunk and promise to stop drinking, but they know they are not capable of following through with their promise. The speaker questions the girl's intentions in trying to preach to them, since they are in such a state of inebriation. The song is ironic in that it juxtaposes the serious subject matter of religion with the carefree atmosphere of a bar, as well as the contradiction between making a promise to change and indulging in the same behavior.