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.
In the Arms of Cocaine
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fast cars and freedom
Trips to the island
Castles in Spain
Las Vegas card sharks
Blues men that blow french harps
But no strings to her heart
Just the arms of cocaine.
Yeah she likes to run
With us high riding cowboys
She says she feels a whole lot
More at home on the range
She can handle her feelings
In most all situations
She just can not handle
The arms of cocaine
Hey I'm just a rhymer
Writing down new phrases
Looking for ladies
Who know I'm subject to change
Content to believing
The songs I am singing.
Help her find her feelings
Help her break the chains of cocaine
Oh my lady is special
She's into my kind of music
She likes Jim Beam and water
Instead of champange
I like Levi's and leathers
Making love together
No more stormy weather
Since she broke the chains of cocaine
No more stormy weather
Since she broke the chains of cocaine
The song “In the Arms of Cocaine” by Hank Williams Jr. is a poignant commentary on the destructive and all-consuming power of addiction. The song reflects on the allure of drugs and how addiction can impact every aspect of a person’s life. The lyrics mention other things that people might find pleasure in, like diamonds, fast cars, freedom, and trips to exotic locations, but for the woman described in the song, it’s only the “arms of cocaine” that she seeks out.
The singer describes the woman’s journey through addiction and how she turns to drugs to help her cope with various situations. While she can handle her emotions in most situations, she’s unable to control herself when it comes to cocaine. The second verse sees the singer acknowledge that he’s just a songwriter, constantly searching for ladies in need of change. He helps her break the chains of cocaine and sets her free from the stormy weather of addiction. The final verse is an ode to the power of love, and how it frees the woman from her addiction to cocaine. She trades in her expensive taste for simple pleasures like Jim Beam and water, while the singer makes the change from stormy weather to smooth sailing.
Line by Line Meaning
Some ladies love diamonds
Some women are enamored with financial status and the material things wealth can buy
Fast cars and freedom
Some women are attracted to the thrill of speed and independence
Trips to the island
Some women love vacations to exotic places
Castles in Spain
Some women dream of living the fairy tale of being a princess
Las Vegas card sharks
Some women enjoy gambling and risk-taking
Blues men that blow french harps
Some women appreciate musicians with talent and style
But no strings to her heart
None of these things truly capture her heart or fulfill her deepest desires
Just the arms of cocaine.
She seeks solace and escape from her problems through drug use, specifically cocaine.
Yeah she likes to run
She enjoys the feeling of freedom and being unbound
With us high riding cowboys
She enjoys the company and lifestyle of those who share her love of freedom and escape
She says she feels a whole lot
She feels like she's living life to the fullest
More at home on the range
She feels more comfortable away from society and out in the open nature of the countryside
She can handle her feelings
She's able to cope with her emotions and express them in most situations
In most all situations
There are exceptions to this, however
She just can not handle
There is something that she can't handle
The arms of cocaine
That something is her addiction to cocaine and the grip it has over her.
Hey I'm just a rhymer
I'm just a musician, nothing more or less
Writing down new phrases
I'm in the business of creating music and lyrics
Looking for ladies
I'm seeking inspiration in the form of female companionship
Who know I'm subject to change
I'm always evolving and growing as an artist, and I need someone who can handle that
Content to believing
I'm satisfied with the belief that my music can help people
The songs I am singing.
I hope my music can have a positive impact on people and help them break free from their struggles
Help her find her feelings
I want to assist her in rediscovering genuine emotions and human connections
Help her break the chains of cocaine
I want to help her overcome her addiction and find a healthier way of life
Oh my lady is special
She is unique and one-of-a-kind, and I treasure her
She's into my kind of music
She shares my passion for and appreciation of music
She likes Jim Beam and water
She's not caught up in luxurious or expensive tastes; rather, she finds joy in the simple things
Instead of champange
She doesn't need or want fancy, high-class items
I like Levi's and leathers
I appreciate a comfortable and rugged sense of style
Making love together
Our intimate moments are special and meaningful
No more stormy weather
We've overcome the turbulent times in our lives
Since she broke the chains of cocaine
Since overcoming her addiction, our relationship has become healthier and happier.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BUZZ RABIN, FLASH GORDON, HANK JR. WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind