Hank
Hank Williams Jr. & Hank Williams Sr. Lyrics
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Well in 1950 I took a little nip
Along with Mr. Williams on the way to Mississipp'
We was stacked 8 deep in a Packard limousine
And we met this promoter in the town of New Orleans
Now the man told Daddy that he had what it took
And he liked the way he sang and he liked the way he shook
He said pretty soon he'd make us all rich
Daddy told the man if you wanna make some dough
Take a little money and book me on a show
And we played them dates and we filled the places well
But Hank, he'd done blowed the profits all to hell
'Cause he'd run through a 10 and he'd run through a 20
And he'd run through a 100 just as fast as it could go
Like a big dose of sauce to a little bitty fella
He'd spend a $1000 dollars on a $100 dollar show
Hank looked at me with a funny lookin' grin,
Said "I've been to the Opry and I'm goin' back again"
We met the owner in a little office there
And a big fat fella with some artificial hair
He told Hank he wanted half of everything he made
Or he'd have to tell Audrey 'bout some women Hank had laid
And you told Daddy he'd better get smart,
Get rid of them fellas and make a new start
And he fired my ass and he fired Jerry Rivers
And he fired everybody just as hard as he could go
He fired old Cedric and he fired Sammy Pruitt
And he fired some people that he didn't even know
Well, every song he made it went to number one,
Y'all was workin' like hell and you was havin' fun
We was ridin' every day and playin' every night
And every 20 minutes some of us had a fight
Now, Daddy he was makin' money hand over fist,
And y'all was getting' screwed but you wasn't getting kissed
Yeah, I told him to pass a little bit around
But he said he'd rather send it to his folks in Alabam'
So he fired your ass and he fired Jerry Rivers
And he fired everybody just as hard as he could go
He fired old Cedric and he fired Sammy Pruitt
And he fired some people that he didn't even know
Now the owner of the Opry, he's a-doin' pretty good,
He's got a music company that they call Cedarwood
And Hank played nothing but sold out halls
And I was pumpin' gas in greasy overalls
'Cause he fired my ass and he fired Jerry Rivers
And he fired everybody just as hard as he could go
He fired old Cedric and he fired Sammy Pruitt
And he fired some people that he didn't even know
Hank run through a 50 and he'd run through a 100
And he'd run through a 1000 just as hard as he could go
Buying cadillac coots paying double alimony
And he fired some people that he didn't even know.
Don you know you, know you used to work for me one time
I sure know that come but come to think of it you fired my ass back in 1972
Oh well it's a family tradition ya know?
Yap yap yap yap
But I kept Jerry Rivers
Right right
The Ballad of Hank by Hank Williams Jr. is a song that tells the story of his father's rise to fame and the various struggles he encountered along the way. The opening lines of the song ask Don, Hank's former employee, to share details about his experience working with Hank Williams Sr. The rest of the song goes on to detail the story of how Hank Sr. signed with a promoter in New Orleans in the 1950s, played various gigs, but blew through his money and eventually fired some members of his band, including Don. Despite this, Hank Sr. continued to rise in fame, while some people around him, such as Don, were left behind.
The song highlights the issues of substance abuse and financial mismanagement that plagued Hank Sr. throughout his career. The story also touches upon industry politics, with the owner of the Opry exerting influence over Hank Sr. by threatening to expose infidelities to his wife. Ultimately, the song portrays how Hank Sr.'s fame surpassed many of the people around him, who were left to continue their lives with little to show for their time spent working with him.
Line by Line Meaning
Don tell us how it really was when you was workin with daddy.
Asking Don to share his past experiences with Hank Williams Sr.
Well in 1950 I took a little nip Along with Mr. Williams on the way to Mississipp' We was stacked 8 deep in a Packard limousine And we met this promoter in the town of New Orleans Now the man told Daddy that he had what it took And he liked the way he sang and he liked the way he shook He said pretty soon he'd make us all rich And we started believin' that fat sumbitch
Recalling the early days when Hank Williams Sr. and the singer met a promoter who promised them fame and fortune, leading them to believe in him.
Daddy told the man if you wanna make some dough Take a little money and book me on a show And we played them dates and we filled the places well But Hank, he'd done blowed the profits all to hell
Hank Williams Sr. suggested the promoter book him for shows to make money, which they did, but Hank Jr. blew all the profits on alcohol and drugs.
'Cause he'd run through a 10 and he'd run through a 20 And he'd run through a 100 just as fast as it could go Like a big dose of sauce to a little bitty fella He'd spend a $1000 dollars on a $100 dollar show
Describing how Hank Jr. spent money recklessly on drugs and parties, wasting large sums of money on simple things.
Hank looked at me with a funny lookin' grin, Said "I've been to the Opry and I'm goin' back again" We met the owner in a little office there And a big fat fella with some artificial hair He told Hank he wanted half of everything he made Or he'd have to tell Audrey 'bout some women Hank had laid And you told Daddy he'd better get smart, Get rid of them fellas and make a new start
Recalling a moment when Hank Jr. accompanied Hank Sr. to meet the owner of the Opry, who threatened to expose Hank Sr.'s infidelities in exchange for half of the profits. Hank Jr. advised Hank Sr. to make changes.
And he fired my ass and he fired Jerry Rivers And he fired everybody just as hard as he could go He fired old Cedric and he fired Sammy Pruitt And he fired some people that he didn't even know
Revealing how Hank Sr. responded to Hank Jr.'s advice by firing band members and people on his team, even those who he didn't know personally.
Well, every song he made it went to number one, Y'all was workin' like hell and you was havin' fun We was ridin' every day and playin' every night And every 20 minutes some of us had a fight Now, Daddy he was makin' money hand over fist, And y'all was getting' screwed but you wasn't getting kissed Yeah, I told him to pass a little bit around But he said he'd rather send it to his folks in Alabam'
Noting that Hank Sr.'s success came at the expense of those who worked hard for him without receiving fair financial compensation. The singer encouraged Hank Sr. to share the wealth, but he was more interested in supporting his family in Alabama.
Now the owner of the Opry, he's a-doin' pretty good, He's got a music company that they call Cedarwood And Hank played nothing but sold out halls And I was pumpin' gas in greasy overalls
Reflecting on how the owner of Opry and Cedarwood Music Company profited greatly from Hank Williams Sr.'s success, while the artist worked a menial job.
Hank run through a 50 and he'd run through a 100 And he'd run through a 1000 just as hard as he could go Buying Cadillac coots paying double alimony And he fired some people that he didn't even know.
Reiterating how Hank Jr. wasted money on drugs and extravagant purchases, which led him to fire even more people from his team.
Don you know you, know you used to work for me one time I sure know that come but come to think of it you fired my ass back in 1972 Oh well it's a family tradition ya know? Yap yap yap yap But I kept Jerry Rivers Right right
Ending the song with playful banter between the artist and Don, acknowledging that they've had a complicated working history together but that certain things never change, like keeping Jerry Rivers on the team.
Lyrics © BOCEPHUS MUSIC INC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON HELMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@islesanctum833
No matter the talent of his father
Hank Jr. voice walks in no one's shadow Respect
@mysticfire7661
Proof he's always been a star, just look at him and listen to his powerful rich tone, beautiful! He's living proof a country boy can survive & i just know his Daddy would be SO PROUD of his little Bocephus. So glad he's still here with us today singing September 3, 2023. ❤
@retprob
Much respect and admiration for Hank Jr. That's a hell of a shadow he had to grow up in.
@briananglian3515
Much much admiration indeed .
@roberthouston6562
No doubt.
@trentjones3918
Very but he made it but his son didn’t make it anywhere
@austinblair8958
And he exceeded expectations by becoming one of the greats.
@hockeyislife2
@@trentjones3918 III did great.
@gerryfrost8854
always the best ,it was a privilege growing up with his music ,thanks HANK
@jeffcummings5688
There’s no denying Hank Williams Sr songs but I am damn glad Hank Jr made his own shadow cause a Country Boy Can Survive!