Honky Tonk
Blues & The Brothers Lyrics

The lyrics to Blues & The Brothers' song "Honky Tonk" depict a heartfelt lamentation over a loved one who frequents a honky tonk. The singer expresses their knowledge of their loved one's whereabouts, as they are aware that she is at the honky tonk where there is loud music and dim lighting. The honky tonk is portrayed as a place where she enjoys spending time and mingling with others in a crowded bar. The singer realizes that as long as there is a honky tonk, their loved one will never be ready to settle down.

The lyrics convey a sense of longing and desperation for the loved one's return. They urge the closure of all the honky tonks and the locking of their doors, hoping that by doing so, their loved one will be prevented from going there. The imagery of closing up the honky tonks and throwing away the key symbolizes the singer's desire to keep their loved one away from the temptations and distractions of that environment. The singer yearns for the loved one to come back to them, acknowledging that they do not possess the power to turn back time, where they could relive the moments when the loved one was solely theirs. Witnessing their loved one running with a crowd in the honky tonk pain the singer, as they understand that as long as the honky tonk exists, their loved one will never be ready to settle down.