About The Song
“There Stands the Glass” was written by Russ Hull, Mary Jean Shurtz, and Audrey Grisham. The latter name was a pseudonym used by Webb Pierce. The song was first recorded by Blaine Smith in 1952. Pierce cut his own version on March 25, 1953, during a session at Castle Studio in Nashville. Produced by Owen Bradley, it was released by Decca in September 1953 as one side of a double-sided single with “I’m Walking the Dog.”
Pierce’s recording reached number one on the Billboard country chart and remained there for twelve weeks. It spent a total of twenty-seven weeks on the chart and became his fifth number-one hit. The B-side also performed strongly, peaking at number three and helping the release become a major commercial success of the early 1950s.
The lyric centers on a glass of whiskey standing before the singer. It is described as the drink that will ease his pain, settle his mind, hide his tears, and help him face another day after a relationship has ended. The song presents the glass as both companion and temporary escape. Pierce’s clear, direct vocal delivery and the classic honky-tonk arrangement gave the record immediate impact.
Some radio stations expressed concern over the song’s open treatment of drinking and limited or banned airplay in certain markets. Despite that resistance, the record found a large audience and became one of the defining drinking songs of the era. Its combination of straightforward storytelling and strong commercial performance helped solidify Pierce’s position as one of the leading country artists of the mid-1950s.
By late 1953 Pierce was already enjoying a rapid rise that included multiple chart-topping singles. “There Stands the Glass” arrived during that peak period and contributed to a string of hits that kept him at the forefront of the genre. The production reflected the clean, fiddle-and-steel-driven sound associated with Owen Bradley’s early Nashville sessions.
Over the decades the song has been covered by numerous artists and continues to appear on lists of classic country recordings. Its lasting recognition stems from both the commercial dominance of Pierce’s original version and the clarity with which it captured a familiar theme of heartbreak and temporary consolation.
Video
Lyric
There stands the glass that will ease all my pain
That will settle my brain, it’s my first one today
There stands the glass that will hide all my fears
That will drown all my tears, brother, I’m on my way
I’m wondering where you are tonight
And I’m wondering if you are all right
I wonder if you think of me in my misery
There stands the glass, fill it up to the brim
Until my troubles grow dim, it’s my first one today
I’m wondering where you are tonight
And I’m wondering if you are all right
I wonder if you think of me in my misery
There stands the glass, fill her up to the brim
Until my troubles grow dim, it’s my first one today