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.
One Out of Three Ain't Bad
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's tougher lies I might have had
Sometimes I live hand to mouth
But there are those who go without
Might be things I wish I had
But when I look at where I'm at
I ain't got it all that bad
In my time I've tried it all
Got loaded up to kiss the sky
Just about kissed the world good-bye
There were those who never made it back
Me, I got lucky, found a landing path
Hey, I ain't got it all that bad
I've got the sunshine and a few good friends I've found
A roof to give me shelter when the rain comes down
I've got tomorrow in a promise that he brings
A few chances that still worth takin'
And a dream that still has wings
These days I don't ask for much
Just the grace of God and my woman's touch
Strength each day to face the fight
And a place in someone's prayers at night
Life and love to love and laugh
If I end up with half of that
I ain't got it all that bad
I ain't got it all that bad
I ain't got it all that bad
In "One Out of Three Ain't Bad," Hank Williams Jr. reflects on his life, acknowledging that though he may face hardships and struggle, he recognizes that there are others who have it far worse than he does. The song speaks to a sense of gratitude, recognizing that the things we take for granted—like shelter, friendship, and love—are blessings in a world where some do not have them.
The lyrics suggest a maturation on the part of the singer who has experimented with drugs, alcohol, and reckless behavior but has come to the realization that in the grand scheme of things, it is life and love that are most important. The repeated refrain, "I ain't got it all that bad," speaks to this appreciation for what he has, rather than dwelling on the things he lacks.
The song serves as a reminder to listeners that while we may be experiencing difficulties, things could always be worse, and we can find solace in what we do have. Beyond that, it speaks to the importance of growth and the evolution of one's perspective over time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I ain't got it all that bad
Compared to others, I realize that I have it relatively good
There's tougher lies I might have had
I know that some people have had to live through worse situations than me
Sometimes I live hand to mouth
Occasionally financial struggles arise, but I make do with what I have
But there are those who go without
Despite my struggles, there are still people who have it worse off than I do
Might be things I wish I had
There are some material possessions that I would like to have
But when I look at where I'm at
However, when I consider my current circumstances, I realize that I have a lot to be thankful for
I ain't got it all that bad
Overall, my life is pretty good
In my time I've tried it all
I have experimented with various lifestyles and choices
Free love, drugs and alcohol
Specifically, I have tried living a lifestyle that involved free love, drugs, and alcohol
Got loaded up to kiss the sky
I have consumed mind-altering substances to the point where I almost died
Just about kissed the world good-bye
I came close to losing my life due to my choices
There were those who never made it back
Unfortunately, not everyone who tried this lifestyle survived it
Me, I got lucky, found a landing path
Fortunately, I was able to turn my life around and find a better path
Hey, I ain't got it all that bad
Despite my past mistakes, my current life is still pretty good
I've got the sunshine and a few good friends I've found
I have happiness and a support system in my life
A roof to give me shelter when the rain comes down
I have a place to call home and protection from the elements
I've got tomorrow in a promise that he brings
I am hopeful for the future
A few chances that still worth takin'
I still have opportunities to pursue
And a dream that still has wings
I have aspirations that I am working towards
These days I don't ask for much
I do not have many material desires anymore
Just the grace of God and my woman's touch
I seek spiritual and emotional fulfillment instead
Strength each day to face the fight
I need the strength to overcome obstacles and keep moving forward
And a place in someone's prayers at night
I am grateful for the love and support of others
Life and love to love and laugh
Ultimately, I just want to enjoy life and the people in it
If I end up with half of that
If I can achieve even a little bit of what I hope for, I will be content
I ain't got it all that bad
Once again, my life is pretty good overall
I ain't got it all that bad
To reiterate, despite any struggles or desires, I am still grateful for my life
Contributed by Caden K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
William Norman
Written by Hank Jr himself and only available on the long OOP "After You / Pride's Not Hard To Swallow". Would love Hank Jr to package his self-penned songs from the MGM catalog and reissue them!
DolittleMccoy
Great Song, I haven't heard this song in many Years.
Jethro Jackson
Great lead riffs.....
nemesisgenius
Didn't George Jones record this one as well? Sammy Kershaw?