Family
Warren H. Williams Lyrics

Country music singers have always been a real close family
Country music singers have always shared a special bond and are like a tight-knit family.

But lately, some of my kinfolks have disowned a few others and me
Recently, some of my relatives have distanced themselves from me and a few others for seemingly no reason.

I guess it's because I kind of changed my direction
I think it's because I've started doing things differently and they don't approve of it.

Lord, I guess I went and broke their family tradition
I suppose I've gone against their usual way of doing things and that's upset them.

They get on me and want to know, "Hank why do you drink?"
They criticize me and question why I drink so much.

Hank, why do you roll smoke?
They also criticize me for smoking.

Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?
They wonder why I feel the need to live my life the way I sing about it in my songs.

Over and over everybody makes my predictions
People keep assuming they know what I'm going to do next based on what they think they know about me.

So if I get stoned, I'm just carrying on an old family tradition
I come from a family of drinkers and if I indulge in it too, it's just something that runs in my blood.

I am very proud of my daddy's name
I'm honored to bear my father's name and carry on his legacy.

Although his kind of music and mine ain't exactly the same
My taste in music may differ somewhat from my father's, but I still have a great respect for his achievements.

Stop and think it over, put yourself in my position
Before judging me, think about what it's like to be in my shoes.

If I get stoned and sing all night long it's a family tradition
Getting drunk and singing all night is something common in my family, so if I do it, I'm just following their example.

So don't ask me, "Hank, why do you drink?"
Don't bother questioning my drinking habits.

Hank, why do you roll smoke?
And don't bother criticizing me for smoking either.

If I'm down in a honky-tonk some ole slick's trying to give me friction
If I happen to be at a bar and someone wants to start trouble with me, I won't back down.

I said leave me alone, I'm singing all night long it's a family tradition
I'll tell them to back off and let me be, as I'm just carrying on my family's tradition of singing and drinking.

Lord, I have loved some ladies and I have loved Jim Beam
I've had romances with women and also indulged in alcohol a lot.

And they both tried to kill me in nineteen-seventy-three
In 1973, my excessive drinking and womanizing nearly destroyed my life.

When that doctor asked me, "Son, how did you get in this condition?"
When a doctor asked me how I ended up like this, I had to admit it was because of my own choices and actions.

I said, "Hey sawbones, I'm just carrying on an ole family tradition"
I sarcastically replied to the doctor that I was just continuing the long-standing custom of drinking myself into oblivion.

Stop and think it over, try to put yourself in my unique position
Don't judge me too harshly without considering all that I've been through.

If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's a family tradition
Carrying on my family's tradition of drinking and partying all night long is just something that comes naturally to me.