SLS – Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox (If I Die)

This week Jim Adams has prompted us with Birthday/Cake/Gift/Party/Surprise for this weeks Song Lyric Sunday. We lost country music singer Joe Diffie this last week to the coronavirus and I wanted to honor him with one of his most popular party songs. He was 61 years old. Diffie defined country music in the 90’s with his quirky music videos that always represented his lyrics well. This may be a little off the beaten path for the prompt, but “Party” was one of the choices and I bolded & italicized a key lyric below.

I met Joe Diffie in 2003 while working at the Florida State Fairgrounds, when he was touring with two other country legends, Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Lawrence. It was quite the concert and an exciting time in my life. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had just won the Superbowl and to have the opportunity to be backstage, shootin’ the shit with these guys was incredible.

I chose “Prop Me Up Against the Jukebox (If I Die)” which could be considered a morbid party song. I always thought about it as a celebration of life and “live while you can” type of song. Didn’t hurt that I liked hanging out in honky tonks as soon as I was 18 and could legally drink. By the time the song came out in 1993, I was married and had 3 kids. I kinda mourned the days of partying when this song hit the radio.

Song Facts:

• It was the second single from Diffie’s CD Honky Tonk Attitude
• It peaked at #3 on the  Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs)
• It reached #2 on the Canada Country Tracks (RPM)
• The video was compared to the movie “Weekend at Bernie’s”
• The song was part of a lawsuit filed in 1999 by Everett Ellis, a songwriter who claimed copyright infringement of his song called “Lay Me Out by the Jukebox When I Die”.

Well I ain't afraid of dying, it's the thought of being dead
I wanna go on being me once my eulogy's been read
Don't spread my ashes out to sea, don't lay me down to rest
You can put my mind at ease if you fill my last request
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Lord I wanna go to Heaven, but I don't wanna go tonight
Fill my boots up with sand, put a stiff drink in my hand
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Just let my headstone be a neon sign
Just let it burn in memory of all of my good times
Fix me up with a mannequin, just remember I like blondes
I'll be the life of the party even when I'm dead and gone
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Lord I wanna go to Heaven, but I don't wanna go tonight
Fill my boots up with sand, put a stiff drink in my hand
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Just make your next selection
And while your still in line
You can pay your last respects
One quarter at a time
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Lord I wanna go to Heaven, but I don't wanna go tonight
Fill my boots up with sand, put a stiff drink in my hand
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Lord I wanna go to Heaven, but I don't wanna go tonight
Fill my boots up with sand, put a stiff drink in my hand
Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Lord prop me up beside the jukebox if I die
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Kerry Kurt Phillips / Blaylock Richard Lane / Perdew Howard
Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) lyrics © Reservoir Media Music, Chrysalis One Music Publishing Group Ireland, Emi Full Keel Music, Emi Longitude Music, Reservoir 416, Emi Longitude Music Co., Reservoir Media Management (ireland) Limited, Emi Full Keel Music Co., Chrysalis One Music, Llc, Bmg Rights Management (ireland) Ltd, Chrysalis One Songs, Llc