Back in May, I watched the Punch Brothers live at the House of Blues via WGBH. During "Rye Whiskey," I noticed the lines "Oh boy, rye whiskey makes the sun set faster / Makes the spirit more willing / But the body weaker." I realized that this is an allusion to the Bible.
It's actually in two different places in the Bible, but the verse is the same: "Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38). Jesus says this to the disciples after they fall asleep while Jesus is praying alone in the Garden of Gethsemane.
It seems like "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" has become a pretty common expression, but I think "Rye Whiskey" illustrates a deeper familiarity since the next line is "Because rye sleep isn’t good sleep, boys." The particular weakness of the Biblical "the flesh is weak" is falling asleep, which "Rye Whiskey" also mentions. In fact, "Rye Whiskey" seems to go even a step further and say that it "isn't good sleep." It's not only the weakness of a body that's weary; it's the weakness of a body that's weary but can achieve only a fitful sleep because of the effects of rye whiskey.
