Honky Tonk Women
Elton John / Dee Murray / Nigel Olsson Lyrics
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Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
I met a gin soaked, bar room queen in Memphis
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
She tried to heave me right across her shoulder
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
I laid a divorcee, right here, in New York City
I had to put up some kind of a fight
The lady then, ooh, she covered me in roses
Well, she blew my nose and then she blew my mind
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues, all right
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
She's a honky tonk woman
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
Yeah, yeah
Honky Tonk Women by Elton John is a cover of the familiar hit by The Rolling Stones. The song is about the irresistible charm and allure of a woman who frequents honky tonk bars, which are casual, low-rent establishments found in the southern United States that serve alcohol and feature live country music. The singer meets a gin-soaked bar room queen in Memphis, who tries to take him upstairs for a ride. He can't seem to forget her and is haunted by her memory. Later, he meets a divorcee in New York City who covers him in roses and blows his mind.
The lyrics of Honky Tonk Women capture the raw and simple emotions of a young man who can't resist the urge to indulge in the primal pleasures of life. The song is a tribute to the freewheeling spirit of the time, capturing the unbridled energy of the rock and roll era. The Rolling Stones' version of the song was released on July 4, 1969, as a single in the US and UK, and became a massive hit, reaching No. 1 on the charts in both countries.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a honky tonk woman
The subject of the song is a woman who frequents honky tonk bars.
Give me, give me, give me the honky tonk blues
The singer desires the feelings and experiences associated with honky tonk culture.
I met a gin soaked, bar room queen in Memphis
The singer encountered a woman who was drunk and appeared to be a regular at honky tonk bars.
She tried to take me upstairs for a ride
The woman attempted to seduce the artist.
She tried to heave me right across her shoulder
The woman attempted to physically overpower the artist.
And I just can't seem to drink her off my mind
The singer is unable to forget about the woman's allure or the honky tonk lifestyle.
I laid a divorcee, right here, in New York City
The singer had a sexual encounter with a divorced woman in New York City.
I had to put up some kind of a fight
The artist had to work for the attention of the woman.
The lady then, ooh, she covered me in roses
The woman showered the artist with affection and attention, possibly in a performative or showy way.
Well, she blew my nose and then she blew my mind
The woman's actions and personality had a great impact on the artist.
Yeah, yeah
An expression of approval or enthusiasm.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alberto Olivieri
The one and only Dee Murray..Genius...the most underrated Bassist of all time...
cricketbat09
Elton's piano playing is amazing on this.
Peter G.
Elton's Bass Player, British Bassist, Dee Murray, really mastered the Art of playing bass along with Elton and so many of his Hit songs!
usmcfutball
Always wondered at the shenanigans at the beginning of this song that made everyone laugh. Pity there's no video of this landmark performance...
gegene gehin
amazing times amazing years this cover trio version is awesome and so so so grOOvy !
Charlie Stewart
Early Elton really is the best Elton.
Julio Cesar Pereira
This album was released with the title 'Bad Side Of The Moon' here in Brasil. I hated the quality of the cut. Later, I'd acquire a small cd collection called 'Elton John's Classic Years' that included his first albums from 1969-1976, i.e. from 'Empty Sky' to 'Blue Moves'. Gus Dudgeon remastered it from the original tapes. In a footnote, he said that Elton prefered the US cut than the British to '11-11-70'. And he was right, in Brasil, we had the British cut and it sounded muffled. So Gugdeon ended up saying (I'm paraphrasing): 'Now let's see what he (Elton) thinks of it.' He made a terrific job on remastering these albums, spcecially this one, which improved a great deal. Gus was right about being proud of it.
Scott Hite
Couldn't agree more with regard to comment about Dee. Love Lies Bleeding is another great song in which Dee shines.
Julio Cesar Pereira
Not to mention 'The Ballad Of Danny Bailey'. Dee's bass is sublime!
Jamie Martinez
This just smokes!!