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.
Just Like Me
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm tired of doin' all the givin'
I give my all and sit and yearn
And get no lovin' in return
And I just don't like this kind of livin'
Why do we stay together
We always fuss and fight
And I ain't never been right
Tell me where you think we're goin'
'Cause I ain't got no way of knowin'
When things go wrong, you go your way
You leave me here, to pay and pay
And I just don't like this kind of livin'
I just don't like the things you're doin'
Your evil heart will be your ruin
When things start runnin' smooth and free
You haul right off and you pick on me
And I just don't like this way of livin'
They say the road of love is long
It's rocky and it's rough
But if this road don't start to get smooth
I've traveled it long enough
Why don't you act a little older
And get that chip off of your shoulder
I've told you once, now I'll tell you twice
You better start to treat me nice
'Cause I just don't like this way of livin'
The lyrics to Hank Williams's song "I Just Don't Like This Kind of Livin'" express the frustration and dissatisfaction of a man who feels he is giving all he can in a relationship, but receiving nothing in return. The song features Hank's iconic voice, which is full of emotion and pain.
The first verse sets the tone for the rest of the song, with the singer expressing his frustration about doing all the giving and getting no love in return. The chorus repeats the main sentiment of the song: "I just don't like this kind of livin'."
In the second verse, the singer questions why the couple stays together when they constantly argue and have no clear direction. He expresses his confusion and lack of knowledge about where the relationship is headed.
The third verse addresses the behavior of the singer's partner, accusing them of having an "evil heart" and intentionally picking on him. The singer again expresses his dissatisfaction with this way of living.
The final verse encourages the partner to act more maturely and treat the singer better, or else the singer will have had enough and no longer wish to continue on this rocky road of love.
Overall, the lyrics touch on themes of unrequited love, frustration, and lack of communication in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I just don't like this kind of livin'
I am unhappy with the way things are going in my life
I'm tired of doin' all the givin'
I am tired of putting in so much effort without getting anything in return
I give my all and sit and yearn
I put in a lot of effort and wait for love to come back to me, but it never does
And get no lovin' in return
I do not receive any love in return for my efforts
Why do we stay together
I am questioning why we continue to stay in this relationship
We always fuss and fight
Our relationship is filled with arguments and disagreements
You ain't never known to be wrong
You always believe you are right and refuse to admit wrongdoing
And I ain't never been right
I am always made to feel like I am in the wrong
Tell me where you think we're goin'
I am seeking clarification on the direction of our relationship
'Cause I ain't got no way of knowin'
I am unsure of what the future holds for us
When things go wrong, you go your way
When things get tough, you abandon me and our relationship
You leave me here, to pay and pay
I am left to deal with the consequences of our relationship falling apart
I just don't like the things you're doin'
I am unhappy with your behavior in our relationship
Your evil heart will be your ruin
Your unkindness and selfishness will ultimately lead to your downfall
When things start runnin' smooth and free
When things are going well between us
You haul right off and you pick on me
You begin to criticize and attack me for no reason
They say the road of love is long
People often say that relationships take a lot of work and time
It's rocky and it's rough
Relationships can be filled with challenges and difficulties
But if this road don't start to get smooth
If our relationship does not begin to improve
I've traveled it long enough
I have been enduring this rough patch in our relationship for too long
Why don't you act a little older
Why don't you act more mature and reasonable
And get that chip off of your shoulder
Stop being so defensive and argumentative all the time
I've told you once, now I'll tell you twice
I have already brought up these issues in the past and am now repeating myself
You better start to treat me nice
You need to start treating me with kindness and respect
'Cause I just don't like this way of livin'
I am unhappy with the way our relationship is going and want things to change
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HANK WILLIAMS SR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
JACK REEVES
This is really good; he's as good as it gets on ballad's like this!!!
victor lopez
I hadn't heard these pure country Gold from HW Jr. Love'em
James Powell
Great song
The Real Honky Tonk Man
This is a very good song. Love it. Thanks for the post..
eyoung2289
Excellent tune..
Tommy Wood
How true this song is. Thanks. Bocephus 🤠⭐🎩🎸🇺🇸
margie beach
Good song !!!
Pierre Moynihan
what goes around...comes around