Honky Tonk
Robert Lockwood Jr. & The Aces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Til that 'ol sun goes down
And darkness helps me hide my shameful tears
My wife works all night long
For a man who's halfway gone
She's the barmaid in the honky-tonk downstairs
It's a shame she wears the name
To a bottle that's destroyin' all hopes and cares
To the men with hungry eyes
She works and hides her pride
She's the barmaid in the honky-tonk downstairs
It's a shame she wears the name
Of a man who's locked and chained
To a bottle that's destroyin' all hopes and cares
To the men with hungry eyes
She works and hides her pride
She's the barmaid in the honky-tonk downstairs
In Robert Lockwood Jr. & The Aces's song "Honky Tonk," the lyrics speak of a woman who works as a barmaid in a honky-tonk located downstairs. The melody of the song is melancholic and the lyrics evoke a sense of despair and shame. The singer laments the sad state of his life with his wife, who works long hours serving drinks to men with "hungry eyes." The poignant lyrics talk about how the woman, who wears the name of a man who's "locked and chained" to a bottle, hides her pride to make ends meet.
The song captures a moment in time when people were struggling to make ends meet and often found work at the local joints. The lyrics allow the listener to empathize with the woman who is forced to work in a bar where she is exposed to the dark side of life. It is also possible to interpret the song as a commentary on the destructive nature of alcohol and how it can ruin relationships and tear people apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it won't be long now
It won't be long until the sun sets.
Til that 'ol sun goes down
Until the sun sets.
And darkness helps me hide my shameful tears
The darkness of night conceals my tears of shame.
My wife works all night long
My wife spends the entire night working.
For a man who's halfway gone
She works for a man who is only partially present due to his drunkenness.
She's the barmaid in the honky-tonk downstairs
She works as a barmaid in the bar located downstairs.
It's a shame she wears the name
It's sad that she has to carry the last name of her drunken husband.
Of a man who's locked and chained
Her husband is trapped and bound by his addiction to alcohol.
To a bottle that's destroyin' all hopes and cares
His addiction is causing him to lose all hope and care for himself and his family.
To the men with hungry eyes
The bar patrons who look at her with desire in their eyes.
She works and hides her pride
She works hard but still tries to maintain her dignity despite the difficult circumstances.
She's the barmaid in the honky-tonk downstairs
She works as a barmaid in the bar located downstairs.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind