Family Tradition – English Lyrics

• By: Hank Williams, Jr.
• Album: A Country Boy Can Survive (Box Set)

Lyrics & Translation

Explore Hank Williams Jr.'s iconic hit, "Family Tradition," a blend of country, rock, and blues that showcases his unique musical style. Discover the story behind the song's rebellious spirit, as Williams Jr. addresses his relationship with his father's legacy and his own path in country music, offering a glimpse into Southern culture and musical heritage.

[English]

Country music singers

Have always been a real close family

But lately some of my kinfolks

Have disowned a few others and me

I guess it's because

I kinda changed my direction

Lord, I guess I went and broke their family tradition

They get on me and want to know

Hank, why do you drink?

Hank, why do you roll smoke?

Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?

Over and over

Everybody makes my prediction

So if I get stoned, I'm just carrying on

An old family tradition

I am very proud

Of my daddy's name

Although his kind of music

And mine ain't exactly the same

Stop and think it over

Put yourself in my position

If I get stoned and sing all night long

It's a family tradition

So don't ask me

Hank, why do you drink?

Hank, why do you roll smoke?

Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?

If I'm down in a honky-tonk

And some ole slick's trying to give me friction

I'll say leave me alone

I'm singing all night long

It's a family tradition

...

Lordy, I have loved some ladies

And I have loved Jim Beam

And they both tried to kill me in 1973

When that doctor asked me

"Son, how did you get in this condition?"

I said, "Hey, Sawbones

I'm just carrying on an ole family tradition"

So don't ask me

Hank, why do you drink?

Hank, why do roll smoke?

Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?

Stop and think it over

Try to put yourself in my unique position

If I get stoned and sing all night long

It's a family tradition

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
family /ˈfæməli/ A1	noun - a group of one or more parents and their children living together as a unit
tradition /trəˈdɪʃən/ B1	noun - the transmission of customs or beliefs from generation to generation
music /ˈmjuːzɪk/ A1	noun - vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion
drink /drɪŋk/ A1	verb - to take (liquid) into the mouth and swallow noun - liquid suitable for drinking
smoke /smoʊk/ A2	verb - to inhale and exhale the smoke of burning tobacco or a drug noun - the cloud of black, grey, or white gases and particles produced when something burns
songs /sɔːŋz/ A1	noun - a musical composition with words for singing
stoned /stoʊnd/ B2	adjective - under the influence of drugs
name /neɪm/ A1	noun - a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known or addressed
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to make musical sounds with the voice
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period from sunset to sunrise in each twenty-four hours
love /lʌv/ A1	verb - have a strong feeling of affection for
doctor /ˈdɒktər/ A1	noun - a person who is qualified to treat people with illness or injury
unique /juːˈniːk/ B2	adjective - being the only one of its kind; unlike anything else
kind /kaɪnd/ A2	noun - a group of people or things having similar characteristics
honky-tonk /ˈhɒŋki tɒŋk/ C1	noun - a cheap or disreputable bar, club, or dance hall, typically one where country music is played

Key Grammar Structures

• Have always been a real close family

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous (informal)

  ➔ While strictly the present perfect *simple* (have been), the usage suggests a continuing state. The 'always' emphasizes duration. In very informal settings, people may drop parts of the helping verb to shorten it.

• Some of my kinfolks have disowned a few others and me

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense; Pronoun 'me' as object of 'disowned'

  ➔ The *present perfect tense* (have disowned) indicates an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present. 'Me' is used because it is the *object* of the verb 'disowned'. Correct usage requires 'me' instead of 'I' here.

• I guess it's because I kinda changed my direction

  ➔ Contraction ('it's'); 'kinda' (informal contraction of 'kind of')

  ➔ 'It's' is a *contraction* of 'it is'. 'Kinda' is an *informal contraction* of 'kind of', used to soften the statement.

• Lord, I guess I went and broke their family tradition

  ➔ Informal Verb Construction ('went and broke')

  ➔ 'Went and broke' is a *colloquial expression* often used in Southern American English. It essentially means 'broke', but adds emphasis, suggesting an impulsive or decisive action. 'Went and' implies that he not only broke the tradition but he did it deliberately or decisively

• Hank, why do you drink? Hank, why do you roll smoke?

  ➔ Interrogative Sentences; Use of auxiliary verb 'do'

  ➔ These are *interrogative sentences* in the present simple tense. The *auxiliary verb* 'do' is required to form questions with most verbs in the present simple.

• Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?

  ➔ Modal Verb 'must'; Relative Clause ('that you wrote')

  ➔ 'Must' expresses *obligation or necessity*. 'That you wrote' is a *relative clause* that modifies 'the songs', providing more information about them.

• Everybody makes my prediction

  ➔ Simple Present tense, collective noun/pronoun as subject

  ➔ 'Everybody' functions as a *singular pronoun* in this sentence, so the verb 'makes' is in the third-person singular form. This is because the sentence refers to the collective whole.

• If I get stoned, I'm just carrying on an old family tradition

  ➔ Conditional Sentence (Type 1); Present Simple/Future Simple (with contraction)

  ➔ This is a *Type 1 conditional sentence*. The 'if' clause (If I get stoned) is in the present simple, and the main clause (I'm just carrying on...) is in the future simple (contracted to 'I'm').