A Country Boy Can Survive – English Lyrics

• By: Hank Williams, Jr.

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heart of American country culture with Hank Williams Jr.'s iconic "A Country Boy Can Survive." This song offers a vivid narrative and authentic vocabulary, making it a fantastic way to learn about country expressions, values of self-sufficiency, and the deep connection to the land. Its storytelling and powerful message of resilience provide a unique insight into a significant aspect of American identity and language.

[English]

The preacher man says it's the end of time

And the Mississippi River, she's a-goin' dry

The interest is up and the stock market's down

And you only get mugged if you go downtown

I live back in the woods, you see

My woman and the kids and the dogs and me

I got a shotgun, a rifle and a four-wheel drive

And a country boy can survive

Country folks can survive

I can plow a field all day long

I can catch catfish from dusk 'til dawn (yeah)

We make our own whiskey and our own smoke too

Ain't too many things these old boys can't do

We grow good-ole tomatoes and homemade wine

And a country boy can survive

Country folks can survive

Because you can't starve us out and you can't make us run

'Cause we're them old boys raised on shotguns

We say grace, and we say ma'am

If you ain't into that, we don't give a damn

We came from the West Virginia coal mines

And the Rocky Mountains, and the western skies

And we can skin a buck, we can run a trotline

And a country boy can survive

Country folks can survive

I had a good friend in New York City

He never called me by my name, just hillbilly

My grandpa taught me how to live off the land

And his taught him to be a businessman

He used to send me pictures of the Broadway nights

And I'd send him some homemade wine

But he was killed by a man with a switchblade knife

For 43 dollars, my friend lost his life

I'd love to spit some beech nut in that dude's eyes

And shoot him with my old .45

'Cause a country boy can survive

Country folks can survive

'Cause you can't starve us out and you can't make us run

'Cause we're them old boys raised on shotguns

We say grace, and we say ma'am

If you ain't into that, we don't give a damn

We're from North California and South Alabam'

And little towns all around this land

And we can skin a buck, and run a trotline

And a country boy can survive

Country folks can survive

A country boy can survive

Country folks can survive

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
survive /sərˈvaɪv/ B1	verb - continue to live or exist, especially in spite of danger or hardship.
plow /plaʊ/ B2	verb - to turn up the earth of (an area of land) with a plow, especially before sowing.
catch /kætʃ/ A1	verb - to intercept and hold (something thrown, propelled, or dropped).
grow /ɡroʊ/ A2	verb - (of a living thing) to increase in size or substance.
starve /stɑːrv/ B2	verb - suffer severely or die from hunger.
raise /reɪz/ B1	verb - bring up (a child).
skin /skɪn/ B2	verb - to remove the skin from (an animal or fruit).
friend /frend/ A1	noun - a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection
taught /tɔːt/ A2	verb - past tense of teach - impart knowledge to or instruct (someone) as to how to do something.
knife /naɪf/ A1	noun - an instrument composed of a blade fixed into a handle, used for cutting or as a weapon.
shoot /ʃuːt/ A2	verb - discharge a bullet or arrow from a gun or bow.
woods /wʊdz/ A2	noun - a large area covered with trees; a forest.
wine /waɪn/ A1	noun - an alcoholic drink made from fermented grape juice.
downtown /ˌdaʊnˈtaʊn/ A2	noun - the main business or commercial area of a town or city.
coal /koʊl/ B1	noun - a combustible black or dark brown rock consisting mainly of carbonized plant matter, found mainly in underground deposits and widely used as fuel.