The song tells a story about the adventures of a man and his horse, a courageous, sun-colored, green-eyed stallion he nicknamed the "Tennessee Stud". The song's timeline appears to take place during a period of over twenty years, beginning in 1825 and ending after the Great Flood of 1844.
After some trouble with his sweetheart's father and her outlaw brother, the man sends her a letter through his uncle and then rides away on his horse, the Tennessee Stud. Together they have a series of adventures, including winning big in a horse race against a Spanish foal south of the border, outmaneuvering a band of Indians, and then escaping after a shootout with a gambler who insulted Tennessee.
Eventually the man and his horse both become lonely and homesick, and ride back to Tennessee where the man gives his girl's father and outlaw brother their comeuppance. He and his girl, on her "Tennessee Mare", ride off together across "the mountains and the valleys wide", and then after crossing the "Big Muddy", and "fording the flood", build a cabin and settle down; the man and his girl marry and have a baby while Stud sires a colt with the mare.
Tennessee Stud
Hank Williams Jr. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never would've got through the Arkansas mud
If I hadn't been a ridin' on the Tennessee Stud
I had some trouble with my sweetheart's pa
One of his brothers was a bad outlaw
I send her a letter by my Uncle Fudd
And I rode away on the Tennessee Stud
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
He had the nerve and he had the blood
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud
We drifted on down onto no man's land
We crossed the river called the Rio Grande
I raced my horse with a Spaiard foal
'Til I got me a skin full of silver and gold
Me and a gambler we couldn't agree
We got in a fight over Tennessee
We jerked our guns and he fell with a thud
And I got away on the Tennessee Stud
Well I got just as lonesome as a man can be
Dreaming of my girl in Tennessee
The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turned blue
Cause he was dreaming of his sweetheart, too
We loped right back across Arkansas
I whipped her brother and whipped her pa
I found that girl with the golden hair
And she was a riding on the Tennessee Mare
The Tennesee Stud was long and lean
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
He had the nerve and he had the blood
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud
Stirrup to stirrup and side by side
We crossed the mountains and the valleys wide
We came to Big Muddy and we forded the flood
And the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud
A pretty little baby and the cabin floor
A little horse cold playin' round the door
And I love the girl with the golden hair
And the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare
The Tennesee Stud was long and lean
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
He had the nerve and he had the blood
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud
The lyrics to Hank Williams Jr.'s song Tennessee Stud recount the singer's journey starting from Tennessee, where he had a rocky relationship with his sweetheart's father and brother, which led him to flee the state on his trusted horse and friend, the Tennessee Stud. The singer goes on a long journey, crossing rivers, racing Spanish foals, getting in fights with gamblers, and ultimately finding his way back to Tennessee, where he is reunited with his beloved and their child. Throughout the journey, the Tennessee Stud remains loyal and reliable, helping the singer overcome various obstacles and eventually bringing him back home to his loved ones.
The lyrics of Tennessee Stud are a tribute to the adventurous spirit of the American South and its frontier heritage. The song is peppered with references to historical events, people, and places, such as the Rio Grande river and the Arkansas mud, which add a layer of realism and authenticity to the lyrics. The Tennessee Stud itself becomes a symbol of the resilience and courage of the Southern people, a noble and majestic animal that embodies the values and spirit of the land it comes from.
Line by Line Meaning
Back about 1825 I left Tennessee very much alive
In 1825, I left Tennessee alive and well
I never would've got through the Arkansas mud
If I hadn't been a ridin' on the Tennessee Stud
I could not have made it through the mud in Arkansas if I was not riding the Tennessee Stud
I had some trouble with my sweetheart's pa
One of his brothers was a bad outlaw
I send her a letter by my Uncle Fudd
And I rode away on the Tennessee Stud
My sweetheart's father and one of her brothers were outlaws, so I sent her a letter through my Uncle Fudd before leaving on the Tennessee Stud
The Tennessee Stud was long and lean
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
He had the nerve and he had the blood
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud
The Tennessee Stud was a courageous, long and lean horse with sun-colored coat and green eyes, and was unmatched in his quality
We drifted on down onto no man's land
We crossed the river called the Rio Grande
I raced my horse with a Spaiard foal
'Til I got me a skin full of silver and gold
We traveled to a place where no one lived, crossed the Rio Grande river, and raced the Tennessee Stud against a Spanish foal, ultimately winning a great deal of silver and gold
Me and a gambler we couldn't agree
We got in a fight over Tennessee
We jerked our guns and he fell with a thud
And I got away on the Tennessee Stud
A gambler and I disagreed and fought over the Tennessee Stud, leading to a gunfight where he fell, and I escaped on the Tennessee Stud
Well I got just as lonesome as a man can be
Dreaming of my girl in Tennessee
The Tennessee Stud's green eyes turned blue
Cause he was dreaming of his sweetheart, too
I became lonely and missed my girl in Tennessee, while the Tennessee Stud also seemed to miss his sweetheart as his eyes changed color from green to blue
We loped right back across Arkansas
I whipped her brother and whipped her pa
I found that girl with the golden hair
And she was a riding on the Tennessee Mare
We raced back across Arkansas, and I defeated my girlfriend's brother and father. I then found my beloved girl with golden hair, who was riding the Tennessee Mare
Stirrup to stirrup and side by side
We crossed the mountains and the valleys wide
We came to Big Muddy and we forded the flood
And the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud
Riding side by side, we crossed the mountains and valleys, and even forded the Big Muddy flood together, riding the Tennessee Mare and the Tennessee Stud
A pretty little baby and the cabin floor
A little horse cold playin' round the door
And I love the girl with the golden hair
And the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare
In a cabin with a pretty baby on the floor and a little horse playing outside, I am in love with the girl with golden hair and the Tennessee Stud loves the Tennessee Mare
The Tennesee Stud was long and lean
The color of the sun and his eyes were green
He had the nerve and he had the blood
And there never was a horse like the Tennessee Stud
The Tennessee Stud was a courageous, long and lean horse with sun-colored coat and green eyes, and was unmatched in his quality
Contributed by Audrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MH Law
Great redo of the Eddie Arnold song. This album is excellent, had a blues theme to it. Hank's late 70s-early 80s stuff was the best. We wore out his records and cassette tapes back then
goldtop1169
Jimmy Driftwood wrote it, Doc Watson made it famous
Jennifer HorseGal
This is my favorite version of the song!!!!
Robert Ivey
You should here billy strings cover
William Poff
I grew up on Doc Watson's version here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, not far from the Tennessee and North Carolina lines.....But I grew up on Hank Williams Jr's version of this classic too, I love them both!! God bless y'all all!!
SouthlandBoysUSA
Love every song by Hank Williams jr and old Hank
BiggMike
Two words... BAD ASS!!!!
Rob Locia
love this song
zisoul
I wish UMG will re-release all of Hank Jr's Albums of the 1970's before his fall off Ajax Mountain,MT in Aug''75 with all the original artwork and new liner notes. His Old Scool- New Rules album is very cool,,it rocks. Peace.
lisa robinson
love this song