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.
Leave Them Boys Alone
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of all them songs that put his daddy in an early grave
But his daddy would be proud, he could see Bocephus now
Why don't you leave that boy alone, let him sing his song
Ole Waylon has been known to play half time
And he been known to get out of his mind
Don't know whether he's right or wrong
Why don't you leave that boy alone and let him sing his song
Why don't you leave them boys alone, let 'em sing there songs
You know there gonna do whatever they want
If you don't like the way they sing who's gonna cast the first stone
Why don't you leave them boys alone, let 'em sing there song
Hank Williams was the king of country soul
My daddy took me to see him in Lubuck but he didn't show
Now the people got mad and they all went home
The first thing we did was put his records on
I guess, we should have left him alone and let him sing his song
Why don't you leave them boys alone, let 'em sing there songs
You know there gonna do whatever they want
If you don't like the way they sing who's gonna cast the first stone
(One more time, Ernest)
Why don't you leave them boys alone, let 'em sing there song
Why don't you leave them boys alone, let 'em sing there song
The song "Leave Them Boys Alone" by Hank Williams Jr. is a defiant and rebellious anthem for artists who are criticized for straying from their roots and forging their own creative paths. Hank Jr. is lamenting that he is often compared to his father, the legendary country singer Hank Williams Sr., and criticized for not staying true to his father's country soul sound. The line "Of all them songs that put his daddy in an early grave" refers to his father's troubled life, including his addiction to alcohol and painkillers, which ultimately led to his death at the young age of 29.
However, Hank Jr. is confident that his father would be proud of the way he has embraced his own unique style and refused to let critics define him. He defends other artists like Waylon Jennings, who have also faced backlash for their unconventional approach to music. The line "Why don't you leave them boys alone and let them sing their song" is a call to respect and support artists who are brave enough to break free from traditional boundaries and create something new and exciting.
The song also touches on the power of music to bring people together and create a sense of community. Hank Jr. recalls how his father's absence at a concert caused disappointment and anger among the crowd, but they found solace and connection by playing his records together. In the end, he suggests that it's better to embrace the diversity of artistic expression and let each artist shine in their own way.
Line by Line Meaning
Now they say, Hank Jr. has strayed away
There are rumors that Hank Jr. has deviated from his father's songs and style
Of all them songs that put his daddy in an early grave
The stress caused by performing and living up to his father's fame and legacy contributed to his father's early death
But his daddy would be proud, he could see Bocephus now
Despite the deviation, Hank Sr. would still be proud of his son, Hank Jr. who has made his own mark in the music world
Why don't you leave that boy alone, let him sing his song
People should not criticize or pressure Hank Jr. to perform a certain way; he should be allowed to express himself through his own music
Ole Waylon has been known to play half time
Waylon Jennings has been known to perform under the influence of drugs or alcohol
And he been known to get out of his mind
Waylon Jennings has a reputation for wild and unpredictable behavior
Don't know whether he's right or wrong
It's unclear whether Waylon's behavior is justified or irresponsible
He's got a string of hits about two miles long
Despite his behavior, Waylon Jennings has written and performed many popular songs
Why don't you leave them boys alone and let him sing his song
Just like Hank Jr., Waylon Jennings should be allowed to express himself through his music without being judged or pressured
Why don't you leave them boys alone, let 'em sing there songs
Artists should be free to create music that reflects their own style and vision without external pressure or criticism
You know there gonna do whatever they want
Artists have the freedom to make their own choices about their music, regardless of what others may think or say
If you don't like the way they sing who's gonna cast the first stone
No one has the right to judge an artist's music or criticize their style, especially when they haven't walked in their shoes
Hank Williams was the king of country soul
Hank Williams Sr. was a legendary and influential country singer who inspired many artists, including his son, Hank Jr.
My daddy took me to see him in Lubuck but he didn't show
The singer had hoped to see Hank Williams Sr. in concert but was disappointed when he didn't appear
Now the people got mad and they all went home
The disappointment of the fans at the concert led to frustration and anger
The first thing we did was put his records on
To console themselves after the concert disappointment, the artist and his father listened to recordings of Hank Williams Sr.'s music
I guess, we should have left him alone and let him sing his song
Perhaps if Hank Williams Sr. had been allowed to perform and live his life his own way, he would have been happier and lived longer
Why don't you leave them boys alone, let 'em sing there songs
The message of this song is that artists should be allowed to create music that reflects their own style and vision without external pressure or criticism
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DEAN DILLON, GARY STEWART, HANK WILLIAMS JR., TANYA TUCKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
myweeter
Love this album, had it years ago. Thanks for posting...
Jason Nabors
Yep, Strong Stuff considered by many to be his best studio album, and every one, fan or critic, has it in the top 5 of Hank Jr. albums.
Mark Conklin
great country music
Rusty Shackleford
@Cannibal Reviews - Sadly, Ernest passed away exactly one year after this song was recorded. "Leave Them Boys Alone" was Tubb's last Billboard charting song. He is a legend that is extremely underrated today! It's pretty sad.
Jason Nabors
Well, I think after the Ken Burns documentary, a lot of Ernest Tubb's contributions finally got the recognition they needed. And this recording is so cool because it connected the son of Hank Williams, with Tubb, who got his start with help from the widow of Jimmie Rodgers. And you've got Waylon on here too. This is one of those classic clapback songs from the "outlaws" to the Nashville establishment, just like Hank Jr.'s other song "Family Tradition" or David Allan Coe's "If That Ain't Country..." or "Longhaired Redneck", this bold assertion that the outlaws were actually more country and traditional than the modern Nashville sound. It's still that way today, when you've got people like Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, and Cody Jinks considered straying from the path but their stuff is actually "real" country music.
Robert Usoff
There'll never be another one like ol' ET!
Bobby Gaspard
i agree
Rocket city joe Jones
Rusty Shackleford ....extremely!
-CjCIII-
If you dont like the way they sing, who's gonna cast the first stone?
Shawn Downs
Awesome song Traditional Country Music!!!!