Turnpike Troubadours’ “Ringing In The Year” Is The Perfect Song To Reminisce To This New Year’s Eve

Looking back at an underrated gem.

Happy New Year’s Eve, y’all. With the rush of Christmas over and the new year on the horizon, the day admittedly comes with quite a bit of baggage. While you can absolutely reflect on all the accomplishments you’ve made throughout the year, for many (myself included), New Year’s Eve serves as a day to take a look back on some of your short-comings. Of course, this is usually done in the form of New Year’s resolutions, but it can also come in the form of some good ‘ol reminiscing.

Taking a look around country music as a whole, it feels like there’s a severe lack of truly great New Year’s songs. While other major holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and both the 4th of July and Memorial Day all have a plethora of iconic songs that capture nearly every feeling associated with the holiday, from Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper” on Christmas to Toby Keith’s “American Solider” on Memorial Day, New Year’s typically gets lost in the shuffle.

Of course, you have a few floating around there, ranging from the likes of Charlie Robinson’s “New Year’s Day” to Sugarland’s “Maybe Baby (New Year’s Day).” However, there’s truly only one definitive New Year’s song, in my opinion. And that song is none other than Turnpike Troubadour’s “Ringing in the Year.”

At this point, it’s hardly a secret that the Turnpike Troubadours are not only one of the best country bands of our generation but arguably of all time. With six albums’ worth of what can only be described as brilliance over the past 15 years, the Oklahoma band has proven time and time again why they’re one of the best in the business.

And while it’s hard to truly point to the best song in their discography due to the laundry list of all-timers such as “Diamonds & Gasoline,” “7 & 7,” “The Birdhunters,” “Heaven Passing Through” and countless more, “Ringing in the Year” has always been a serious contender for Turnpike’s best of the best.

Appearing on their 2015 self-titled album, “Ringing in the Year” was written independently by frontman and songwriting-extraordinaire, Evan Felker and ultimately tells the story of Felker sitting back on New Year’s Eve reminiscing about a lost love.

Setting the song up brilliantly in the first verse by referencing a letter sent by his ex, he keeps the eventual aftermath of the relationship extremely vague. This leads to the incredibly melodic chorus that gives an insight into just how much Felker has been missing her throughout the majority of the year.

Well won’t you miss your whiskey in the wintertime, my dear
The way that I’ve been missing you this fall
And cheap champagne don’t dull the pain of ringing in the year
Wondering if you think of me at all

It’s the final two lines, in particular, that make the song such a heartbreaking depiction of the aftermath of a breakup. On its surface, New Year’s Eve should be a time to put the past in the past, have a few too many and ultimately celebrate the turning of a new page. However, Felker, in typical fashion, contrasts this inherently joyful holiday with an incredibly desperate, borderline pathetic line hoping for him to cross her mind just once.

“Ringing in the Year” does have a bit of levity and resolve, however. In the final verse, Felker essentially comes to terms with the breakup, telling his former lover to “let all acquaintances be forgot” before referencing roman candles cutting across a January sky. Though it’s up for interpretation, I view the roman candles as a symbol for him letting the relationship finally go as they blaze and eventually die in the vast sky.

With a little more resolve I might be somewhere else with you
But I make no resolution of the kind
So I guess it’s just God blessing you did all that you could do
Let all acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind
To roman candles cut across a January sky

Ultimately, “Ringing in the Year” is nothing short of a stunner from Turnpike. Between Felker’s vocals and always brilliant lyricism, Kyle Nix’s masterful fiddle work and its existence as a rare New Year’s song, the track is nothing short of a must-listen this New Year’s Eve. I’m sure everyone has had a breakup that has haunted them well into the next year, and “Ringing in the Year” captures this feeling of longing perfectly.

“Ringing in the Year”

Wild America Tour 2026 Dates

January 30 – Fort Worth, Texas – Billy Bob’s Texas

January 31 – Fort Worth, Texas – Billy Bob’s Texas

February 5 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – The Met Philadelphia *

February 6 – Uncasville, Connecticut- Mohegan Sun Arena *

February 7 – Boston, Massachusetts – MGM Music Hall at Fenway *

March 27 – West Valley City, Utah – Maverick Center #^

March 28 – Boise, Idaho – ExtraMile Arena #^

June 5 – New York, New York – The Rooftop at Pier 17 @

June 6 – Asbury Park, New Jersey – The Stone Pony Summer Stage @

* with Robert Earl Keen
# with Charles Wesley Godwin
^ with Buffalo Traffic Jam
@ with LuceroThe post Turnpike Troubadours’ “Ringing In The Year” Is The Perfect Song To Reminisce To This New Year’s Eve first appeared on Whiskey Riff.