Williams began his career following in his famed father's footsteps, covering his father's songs and imitating his father's style. Williams' first television appearance was in a 1964 episode of ABC's The Jimmy Dean Show, in which at age fourteen he sang several songs associated with his father. Later that year, he was a guest star on Shindig!.
Williams' style evolved slowly as he struggled to find his own voice and place within country music. This was interrupted by a near-fatal fall off the side of Ajax Peak in Montana on August 8, 1975. After an extended recovery, he challenged the country music establishment with a blend of country, rock, and blues. As a multi-instrumentalist, Williams' repertoire of skills includes guitar, bass guitar, upright bass, steel guitar, banjo, dobro, piano, keyboards, saxophone, harmonica, fiddle, and drums.
From 1989 through October 2011, his song "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight", refashioned as "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night", had been used to open broadcasts of Monday Night Football until it was pulled after Williams made controversial comments comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. The song returned to open the show in 2017.
On August 12, 2020, Williams was selected to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Williams' early career was guided, some say outright dominated, by his mother Audrey Williams, who many claim was the driving force that led his father to musical superstardom during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Audrey, in many ways, wished for young Hank to be nothing more than a "Hank Williams, Sr. impersonator", sometimes going as far as to have clothes designed for him that were identical to his father's stage clothes and vocal stylings very similar to those of his father.
Although Williams' recordings earned him numerous country hits throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, he became disillusioned with his role as a 'Hank Williams clone' and severed ties with his mother in order to pursue his own musical direction and tastes. After recording the soundtrack to Your Cheatin' Heart, a biography of his father, Williams, Jr. hit the charts with one of his own compositions, "Standing in the Shadows". The song signalled a move to rock and roll and other influences as he stepped from the shadow of his father.
Also during this time, Williams had his first two No. 1 songs: "All For the Love of Sunshine" (1970, featured on the soundtrack to Kelly's Heroes) and "Eleven Roses" (1972).
By the mid-1970s, Williams had finally found the musical direction that would, eventually, make him a superstar. Williams' unique blend of traditional country with southern rock and blues earned him a devoted following, although some mainstream country radio stations wouldn't touch his new songs in this blatantly untraditional sound.
While recording a series of hit songs, Williams began abusing drugs, including alcohol and eventually tried to commit suicide in 1974. Moving to Alabama, Williams began playing music with Southern rock musicians Toy Caldwell, Marshall Tucker Band and Charlie Daniels, and others.
His last major success was "There's a Tear in My Beer", a duet with his father created using electronic dubbing techniques. The song itself was written by his father, presumably, sometime between 1950 and 1953 and was recorded with Hank Williams playing just his guitar. The music video for the song combined existing television footage of Hank Williams performing and the dubbing techniques transferred the image of Hank Jr. onto the screen, so it appeared as if he were actually playing with his father. The video was an overwhelming success, both critically and commercially. It was named Video Of The Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country music. Hank Williams, Jr. would go on to win a Grammy award in 1990 for Best Country Vocal Collaboration.
Despite his slumping album sales, Hank Williams Jr. continued to be a popular concert draw during the early 1990s and continued to record, with several of his recordings during this time still managing to achieve gold status, selling 500,000 copies.
He is probably best known today as the performer of the theme song for Monday Night Football, based on "All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight". The opening theme became a classic, as much a part of the show as the football itself. In 1991, 1992, 1993, and 1994, Williams' opening themes for Monday Night Football would earn him four Emmy awards.
Williams opened for Super Bowl XL on February 5, 2006, on ABC and was in the stands as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
On April 10, 2006, CMT honored Williams with the Johnny Cash Visionary Award, presenting it to him at the 2006 CMT Music Awards.
On November 11, 2008, Williams was honored as a BMI Icon at the 56th annual BMI Country Awards. The artists and songwriters named BMI Icons have had "a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers".
In 2011, Williams was named one of "Seven Living Legends" of his native Shreveport, Louisiana, by Danny Fox (1954–2014) of KWKH radio. Others named were Bob Griffin of KSLA and KTBS-TV and James Burton. Two others cited, Claude King and Frank Page, both died in 2013.
In 2015, Hank Williams Jr. was Inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.
Come And Go Blues
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well I seen this thing down on the ground
Baby I'm too far gone to start turnin' around
Well if only you make up your mind
Take me where you go or just leave me here to pine
Lord you got those come and go blues woman you got those come and go blues
Got me feeling like a fool just like a fool
Round and round round to go
Don't ask me why I stay here cause I do know
Maybe I'm a fool to care baby without your sweet love I would be nowhere
Here I'll stay lost in your will until that day I find someone else
But I don't know just when that will be
I don't know I can't say and I can't see
Lord you got those come and go blues woman you got those come and go blues
Got me feeling like a fool just like a fool
The lyrics to "Come And Go Blues" by Hank Williams Jr. are a classic representation of a person who is trapped in a love that they cannot let go of, even though they know it's not good for them. Hank Jr. sings about the struggles he has trying to break free from this woman who has got him under her spell. He acknowledges the fact that the people around him are telling him she's no good, but he can't seem to shake her off.
He sings that he's too far gone to start turning around, meaning he's too deep in his feelings to just give up on this woman. He's essentially a prisoner of her love, and he knows it's foolish to keep waiting for her to change her ways, but he can't help how he feels. He's willing to go wherever she goes, hoping that she makes up her mind and takes him with her. However, he's also willing to stay behind and pine for her if she decides to leave him.
The chorus repeats the phrase "you've got those come and go blues," which refers to how this woman's love for him is not consistent. It's on and off like a switch, and he's always left feeling like a fool for falling for her. The song ends with him admitting that he'll stay lost in her will until he finds someone else, but he has no idea when that will be or if it will ever happen.
Line by Line Meaning
People say you're no good
People have been speaking ill of you, indicating that you may not be a good partner or friend.
I couldn't cut to loose babe if I could
Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to let go of you, my love.
Well I seen this thing down on the ground
I have witnessed something that has brought me down to the ground and has caused me to feel sad.
Baby I'm too far gone to start turnin' around
I have become so invested in our relationship that, even though I may want to, it's too difficult for me to turn around and leave.
Well if only you make up your mind
If you could come to a decision about our relationship, then it would help me to understand where we stand.
Take me where you go or just leave me here to pine
Either take me with you on your journey or leave me behind, but please don't leave me in limbo.
Lord you got those come and go blues woman you got those come and go blues
You have a tendency to come and go in my life, leaving me feeling emotionally blue.
Got me feeling like a fool just like a fool
Your actions are causing me to feel foolish for sticking around and hoping things will change.
Round and round round to go
Our relationship seems to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of ups and downs.
Don't ask me why I stay here cause I do know
Even though I may not have a good reason, I choose to stay in this relationship because of my love for you.
Maybe I'm a fool to care baby without your sweet love I would be nowhere
It's possible that I am a fool for caring so much about you, but without your love, I would feel lost and alone.
Here I'll stay lost in your will until that day I find someone else
I will continue to stay in this relationship, even if it's not in my best interest, until I meet someone new.
But I don't know just when that will be
I am unsure of when I will meet someone new and be able to move on from this relationship.
I don't know I can't say and I can't see
I am unable to predict when I will meet someone new, or when I will be able to let go of my feelings for you.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREGG L. ALLMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
STANDING Bear
For those that do not know. This originally was written and sang by the Allman brothers. Hank did a great rendition of the song.❤️
Auto_5
Indeed. Thanks for spreading the word. Gotta give credit where it’s due…I swear you do
Buck Fama
Definitely Gregg Allman...GA's version is on YT somewhere. Love Hank, one of a kind!!
URNsane2use Realname
Hats off to the true King of Country Music. I've been a fan since the first time I heard him in around 78. I'm 60+ and still dig his sound
Mr. Breeze
You're the same as me bro. This album right here did it for me. Been hooked ever since
Eric Stoecker
George Strait is singing this? Wow
Ilona onaway
Hank .. One of the best concert performers of ALL time..
Cliff States
Hes a MANIAC. god love him
123ubuntu666
Hank sure can sing. What a voice.
Greg Jones
Hank has never done a "bad" cover of anything