“Cocaine Country Dancing” stands out as a track brimming with intensity and turmoil, a true reflection of a chaotic period in Paul Cauthen’s life. This song, born from personal upheaval, encapsulates a dark chapter following a significant breakup and a move from his Texas home. For two years, Cauthen lived a nomadic life in hotels, navigating an era marked by alcohol, drug use, and fleeting relationships.
This tumultuous phase became the unlikely catalyst for his 2019 album, Room 41. Among the tracks forged in this fire was “Cocaine Country Dancing,” a song whose origins are as raw and unfiltered as the period itself. In his own words, Cauthen recounts the genesis of this compelling track.
Yeah, it was super manic. I had the hook of the song up in Wichita Falls, at this old warehouse, with this old weed dealer that I used to go and buy weed from. [There was] an old drum set, a mini keyboard and a loop station, and all this stuff. I was messing with it one day after I bought some weed from him.
The initial lyrical fragment, “Cocaine country dancin’ with you. Cocaine …” emerged spontaneously during one of these jam sessions. Recognizing the raw energy in the phrase, Cauthen shared it with co-writer Jason Burt. However, the song remained in a nascent state for an extended period.
I started this [line] that went like, “Cocaine country dancin’ with you. Cocaine …” just singing that over and over. I was like, “Damn! That’s got something.” I sent it over to [co-writer] Jason [Burt], and we sat on that song for a long f–kin’ time.
It wasn’t until Cauthen began assembling material for a new record that “Cocaine Country Dancing” resurfaced. Burt revisited the initial hook and proposed expanding upon it, introducing the lines that build upon the sense of time slipping away and restless searching: “It’s a quarter to one, just looking for fun / It’s a quarter to two, what we gonna do / It’s a quarter to …” This sparked a renewed creative energy, and the collaboration solidified to complete the track.
Then, when I was about to start making a record, and going through [all the material I had written for the new album], Jason was like, “Dude, I went back and I had this idea.” It was like, “It’s a quarter to one, just looking for fun / It’s a quarter to two, what we gonna do / It’s a quarter to …” I was like, “Man, I really think we can nail this song.” So we started just finishing it.
The chaotic energy of the song mirrored Cauthen’s personal life at the time – a period of acting out and searching for something more. This personal turmoil, while destructive, became intertwined with his artistic ambitions, driving him to explore and achieve a more expansive sound. The “Cocaine Country Dancing lyrics” are therefore not just words, but a visceral embodiment of a turbulent journey, channeled into a powerful piece of music.
And in the middle of all that, also, I was in a frenzy. Just acting out, being an ass. All with a good spirit — never being ill-willed to anybody or hurting anybody … I was just trying to get through it, and honestly, I was reaching for a bigger sound the whole time.
