The grandson of Hank Williams and the son of Hank Williams Jr., he spent much of his early years playing drums in metal and punk rock bands. In 1996, child support payments led Hank III to sign a contract with Music City giant Curb. Three Hanks: Men With Broken Hearts was issued shortly thereafter, which brought the voices of all three generations of Williams men together. While this may seem to be a nice beginning, it was quite different from what Hank III himself desired musically. Despite having been born in Nashville, Tennessee, Hank III has never had a preference for mainstream country.
While his name (and his uncanny vocal and physical resemblances to his grandfather) could have guaranteed him a thriving country audience, he had no patience for the often predictable Nashville sound, nor for even the minimal constraints on behavior his promoters required. His opinions on this subject are well summed up in the songs "Trashville" and "Dick in Dixie".
His first album on his own, titled Risin' Outlaw, was released in September 1999. Lovesick, Broke & Driftin' was released in 2002. He had a great deal of trouble with his label Curb Records, with incidents as extreme as their unwillingness to either release his appropriately named This Ain't Country LP, nor allow him to issue it alone, and his selling of "F*** Curb" T-shirts. Battles with Walmart had delayed the release of his third studio album, titled Straight To Hell, which will be released on Feburary 28th as a two-disc in two formats: a clean version (for Wal-Mart), and an uncensored version, which will be the first country album to bear a parental advisory sticker on the cover.
He plays country with his "damn band" and produces a rather different sound with Assjack, which is a metalcore/psychobilly band. He is also the Bass guitarist in Superjoint Ritual, with former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo. Superjoint Ritual has since disbanded but III is still working with Anselmo on one of his many side-projects (like arson anthem, mentioned below).
A number of "sub-sub-genres" have been coined describing his original sound, such as hard-twang, slacker swing, hellbilly, and honky punk.
Hank III has recorded the tracks "87 Southbound", "Thunderstorms and Neon Signs", as well as "Why Don't You Leave Me Alone", which were penned by Wayne Hancock, a musician who is often compared to him.
Hank III enjoys an extremely loyal grassroots fan base and much of his success can be attributed to his taper friendly stance regarding the audio/videotaping of his frenetic live shows which has been his main promotional vehicle considering the lack of attention paid to his promotion by the Curb Record label.
The Damn Band/Assjack also featured fiddle player extraordinaire Michael "Fiddleboy" McCanless who would play both sets, the traditional country set of the concert and then come back and plug his fiddle into a distortion box and saw away during the metal set. Sadly his talent left this world on February 3, 2003 after losing a battle with cancer, of which the cry of "Fuck Cancer" came out of Hank III's "Fuck Curb" campaign.
In late 2004 Thrown Out of the Bar was slated for release, but Curb opted not to issue it. Williams and label executive Mike Curb would be in and out of court for the next year before a judge ruled in favor of Williams in the spring of 2005, demanding that Curb release the album. Shortly thereafter Williams and Curb came to terms, and Williams dropped his "Fuck Curb" campaign. Bar was reworked into Straight to Hell, released on Curbβs rock imprint, Bruc. Battles with Wal-Mart delayed the appearance of this album, which was released on February 28, 2006 as a two-disc set in two formats: a censored version (for Wal-Mart), and an uncensored version that was the first major-label country album ever to bear a parental advisory warning. One of the songs, "Louisiana Stripes" was written by a little-known Alabama teenager named Jeremy Cummings, who originally released the song on his 2004 debut CD Country Bullshit.
Williams recently played drums for Arson Anthem, formed with Phil Anselmo and Mike Williams of the sludge band Eyehategod.
Williams released his long awaited punk-metal album AssJack on August 4, 2009.
His next album, Rebel Within, was released in May 2010. It charted at number 20 in Billboard magazine.
Williams' former label Curb Records released Hillbilly Joker on May 17, 2011; this is his last release with the label. Williams had been involved in a long contract dispute with his Curb Records after the company refused to release his punk inspired CD This Ain't Country. Several of the songs on Hillbilly Joker had been available as bootlegs, some of them for nearly ten years.
On June 23, 2011, it was posted on III's personal Facebook that he would be releasing four new CDs on September 6, 2011. It said to expect Country, Doom-Rock, Speed Metal with Cattle Callin' on the releases. It also said that they would be released on III's own record label Hank III Records. Entitled Ghost to a Ghost/Gutter Town (a 2-disc country record with some ambient and folk influences), 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin' (a metal record in the newly anointed cattle core genre) and Attention Deficit Domination (a doom-rock record), these new albums were released on Williams's own record label Hank3 Records through Megaforce Records, and feature guest appearances by Tom Waits, Les Claypool (Primus), Alan King (Hellstomper), Ray Lawrence Jr., Troy Medlin (Sourvein), Dave Sherman (Earthride) and Williams' dog, Trooper.
On March 4, 2013, on Williams's web site, it was announced that he is working on two new albums. It has been confirmed that there are at least 25 new songs. On May 3, 2013, Williams released the names of two new albums: a country album Brothers of the 4Γ4 and punk album A Fiendish Threat, under the band name "3".
On July 6, 2018, Williams was featured on DevilDriver's cover of his song "Country Heroes", which appears on their album Outlaws 'til the End: Vol. 1. On May 24, 2021 he released a cover of the David Allan Coe song "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" on his YouTube channel. On July 31, 2021 Williams shut down his online store. In 2021, Williams' son, Coleman Finchum, changed his last name to Williams began recording and releasing music under the moniker "IV". He formed a band known as "IV and the Strange Band". Their debut album, Southern Circus, was released in June 2022.
On Sunday 18th September 2022, he released a number of new songs on his YouTube channel.
I Don't Know
Hank Williams III Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shoot my car if it don't crank
Try to raise a little Cain
Mess the walls up with some paint
Might even join a rodeo
Ride my horse to Buffalo
Change my name to Bill
But I can't promise you I won't
Some people do, some people don't
Some people win, some people lose
Some people never get to choose
All you can do is the best you can
And hope things work out like you plan
I plan to stay, but I might go
I can't say 'cause I don't know
I might become the president
And tell the world I'm heaven sent
Take up drinking cold iced tea
Quit watching women and TV
Might even smoke those cigarettes
Play my guitar like Dickey Betts
Get in miss Shania's pants
I don't think I've got a chance
But I ain't sayin' I won't try
To do it all before I die
I just might win, but if I lose
Well, I'll just blame it on the booze
'Cause I'm just doin' the best I can
And I hope ya understand
I plan to stay, but I might go
And if I do, I told you so
The lyrics of Hank Williams III's song "I Don't Know" explore the uncertainty of life and the unpredictability of the human spirit. The singer acknowledges their tendency to act impulsively and recklessly, speculating about some of the wild and daring things they might do with their life, including robbing a bank, joining a rodeo, or becoming president. The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's lack of certainty about their future or what they might do with it, noting that while they plan to stick around, they can't be sure.
The singer's musings on the potential paths their life could take are tempered by a sense of resignation and acceptance. They acknowledge that life doesn't always work out as we plan, and that sometimes our dreams and goals may remain out of reach. But despite this uncertainty, the singer maintains a sense of hope, suggesting that all we can do is our best and trust that things will work out in the end.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Don't Know" are a reflection on the complexity and unpredictability of life. They speak to the human experience of longing for adventure and excitement, while also acknowledging the reality that life is full of ups and downs, and that we can never be entirely sure where our path will lead us.
Line by Line Meaning
I might get drunk and rob a bank
There's a chance I'll get intoxicated and commit an act of theft
Shoot my car if it don't crank
Expressing frustration that I might inflict damage on my own car if it doesn't start properly
Try to raise a little Cain
I may become mischievous and cause some trouble
Mess the walls up with some paint
I might express my creativity by painting the walls, but it could be a bit chaotic
Might even join a rodeo
I could possibly embark on a career in rodeo
Ride my horse to Buffalo
I could travel to Buffalo on horseback
Change my name to Bill
I may decide to change my name to Bill
I don't think I ever will
But it's not something I'm seriously considering
But I can't promise you I won't
I can't make any guarantees that I won't do any of these things
Some people do, some people don't
People have different attitudes and behaviors
Some people win, some people lose
The outcomes of life are not always equal
Some people never get to choose
Not everyone has the privilege to make their own decisions
All you can do is the best you can
There's no more that anyone can do other than try their best
And hope things work out like you plan
Although you can try to control outcomes, there's still an element of uncertainty
I plan to stay, but I might go
I would like to stay in my current situation, but I acknowledge that things may change
I can't say 'cause I don't know
I can't make any predictions because I'm not sure what the future holds
Might become the president
I could potentially become the leader of a country
And tell the world I'm heaven sent
I may have a grandiose sense of self-importance
Take up drinking cold iced tea
I might decide to switch up my beverage preferences
Quit watching women and TV
I may give up certain vices or hobbies
Might even smoke those cigarettes
I could potentially take up smoking cigarettes
Play my guitar like Dickey Betts
I may aspire to play the guitar like musician Dickey Betts
Get in miss Shania's pants
I might try to have a romantic or sexual relationship with Shania Twain
I don't think I've got a chance
But it's unlikely that I'll be successful
But I ain't sayin' I won't try
But I'm not ruling it out entirely
To do it all before I die
I might have a bucket list of things I want to accomplish before I pass away
I just might win, but if I lose
There's a possibility of success or failure
Well, I'll just blame it on the booze
If I don't succeed, I can always blame it on being drunk
'Cause I'm just doin' the best I can
I'm trying my hardest with what I've got
And I hope ya understand
I hope that people can see that I'm giving it my all
And if I do, I told you so
If I end up leaving or doing something unexpected, I've already expressed that it's a possibility
Lyrics Β© DistroKid, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: Willie Mabon, Joe Thomas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jake
It's a shame he doesn't get the love he deserves. Love some 3.
bronco
True
Dustin Crousser
π
lil twist turnt up
The Rebel and his sidekick
Hank 3 the best newer one heβs my icon for the newer singers !
Jimmy Burzinski
Not meant to reach everyone. That's possibly the best thing that this crew offers your ears
Wendy Mcgovern
Love this guys attitude
Darryl Rhoades
Written by a guy who should still be among us, my friend, Randy Howard.
Katie Sioux Lamoureaux
β€οΈπ€
the_oyster_ditch
This is the shit
Fool of a Took
Did s many drugs to this song!!! Yeee eFFing Ha Hank Da3 is (actually 2nd best Hank).