The protagonist is a bartender. A young man asks him for advice, having been asked to light a cigarette by a woman he wishes to approach. The protagonist replies that the gesture means little because knowing the woman as a regular patron, she only comes to the bar to take her mind off men who have done her wrong.
Critical reception
Deborah Evans Price of Billboard magazine reviewed the song favorably, saying Rowan's production is "simple and understated, letting Nichols' smokey baritone paint the portrait of a 'complicated girl...who ain't that hard to figure out."[2]
Music video
The music video was directed by Morgan Lawley and premiered in early 2003.
Chart performance
"She Only Smokes When She Drinks" debuted at number 58 on the U.S. BillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of May 3, 2003.