You In A Honky Tonk – English Lyrics

• By: Randall King
• Album: Shot Glass

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

Cotton flannel on a front porch swing

Leather jacket and some tight blue jeans

Don't get me started on the things I think

When you're wearing nothing but them soft white sheets, yeah

Listen, baby, you can put on anything

What drives me crazy

Is seeing you in a honky-tonk

The way you're slipping that neon on

Girl, there ain't a look you can't pull off

But nothing turns me on

Like you in a honky-tonk

...

Smoke rings, glowing greens and reds

They hug your body like a long black dress

It's tailor made for your silhouette

Ooh, nothing steals my breath

Like seeing you in a honky-tonk

The way you're slipping that neon on

Girl, there ain't a look you can't pull off

But nothing turns me on

Like you in a honky-tonk

Sipping and swaying and singing

Girl, all I'm saying is it fits you like a glove

Listen, baby, you can put on anything

But I just go crazy

Seeing you in a honky-tonk

The way you're slipping that neon on

Girl, there ain't a look you can't pull off

Nothing turns me on

Like you in a honky-tonk

The way you're slipping that neon on

Nah, there ain't a look you can't pull off

But nothing turns me on

Like you in a honky-tonk

...

Ah, in a honky-tonk

In a honky-tonk

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
honky‑tonk /ˈhɒŋki tɒŋk/ C1	noun - a bar that provides country music for dancing
neon /ˈniːɒn/ B2	noun - a type of bright, colored gas‑discharge light
slip /slɪp/ B1	verb - to slide unintentionally or lose footing noun - a small piece of clothing worn under a dress
pull /pʊl/ A2	verb - to draw something toward oneself
turn /tɜːn/ A2	verb - to rotate or cause to rotate
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ B1	adjective - extremely enthusiastic or excited
smoke /smoʊk/ A1	noun - visible vapor from a fire
glow /ɡloʊ/ B1	verb - to give out a steady, soft light
dress /drɛs/ A1	noun - a one‑piece garment for women
silhouette /ˌsɪl.uˈɛt/ C1	noun - the dark shape and outline of someone or something seen against a brighter background
breath /brɛθ/ A1	noun - the act of inhaling and exhaling air
sip /sɪp/ A2	verb - to drink a small amount at a time
sway /sweɪ/ B2	verb - to move gently back and forth or side to side
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to produce musical sounds with the voice
glove /ɡlʌv/ A1	noun - a covering for the hand, usually with separate sections for each finger
cotton /ˈkɒtən/ A1	noun - a soft white fibrous plant material used for fabric
flannel /ˈflænəl/ B2	noun - a soft woven fabric, typically made of wool or cotton, used for clothing
porch /pɔːrtʃ/ A2	noun - a covered shelter attached to the outside of a building
swing /swɪŋ/ A1	noun - a hanging seat that moves back and forth
leather /ˈlɛðər/ B2	noun - tanned animal hide used for clothing and accessories

Key Grammar Structures

• Don't get me started on the things I think

  ➔ Negative Imperative + Phrasal Verb + Relative Clause

  ➔ The phrase "Don't get me started on..." is an idiomatic negative imperative used to say one has a lot to say about something and might become emotional. "The things I think" is a relative clause where the relative pronoun "that/which" is omitted after "things."

• When you're wearing nothing but them soft white sheets

  ➔ "Nothing but" (meaning "only")

  ➔ The phrase "nothing but" is used for emphasis, meaning 'only' or 'just.' In this context, it implies she is wearing 'only' soft white sheets.

• What drives me crazy / Is seeing you in a honky-tonk

  ➔ Nominal Relative Clause as Subject + Gerund as Subject Complement

  ➔ "What drives me crazy" is a nominal relative clause acting as the subject of the sentence. "What" replaces 'the thing that.' "Seeing you in a honky-tonk" is a gerund phrase functioning as a subject complement, describing what drives him crazy.

• you can put on anything

  ➔ Modal Verb "can" + Separable Phrasal Verb "put on"

  ➔ "Can" expresses ability or possibility. "Put on" is a separable phrasal verb meaning to wear clothes or accessories. The object ("anything") can go between "put" and "on."

• there ain't a look you can't pull off

  ➔ Informal "there ain't" + Negative Modal "can't" + Separable Phrasal Verb + Implied Relative Pronoun

  ➔ "Ain't" is an informal contraction for "is not/are not." "Pull off" is a separable phrasal verb meaning to succeed in wearing something or making something look good. The relative pronoun "that/which" is implied after "look."

• But nothing turns me on / Like you in a honky-tonk

  ➔ Separable Phrasal Verb "turn on" + Comparison with "like"

  ➔ "Turn on" is a separable phrasal verb meaning to excite or arouse someone. "Like" is used here as a preposition to introduce a comparison, similar to "similar to" or "in the manner of."

• Smoke rings, glowing greens and reds

  ➔ Present Participle used as an Adjective

  ➔ "Glowing" is the present participle of the verb "to glow." Here, it functions as an adjective describing the colors "greens and reds," indicating they are shining.

• It's tailor made for your silhouette

  ➔ Compound Adjective (Past Participle)

  ➔ "Tailor-made" is a compound adjective formed from the noun "tailor" and the past participle "made." It means custom-made or perfectly suited for someone or something.

• Sipping and swaying and singing

  ➔ Parallel Structure with Gerunds

  ➔ This uses a parallel structure where three gerunds ("sipping," "swaying," "singing") are listed. This construction emphasizes a series of actions performed simultaneously or in sequence, creating a rhythmic effect.

• Girl, all I'm saying is it fits you like a glove

  ➔ Nominal Relative Clause as Subject + Simile

  ➔ "All I'm saying" is a nominal relative clause acting as the subject of the sentence (meaning 'the only thing I'm saying'). "Like a glove" is a common simile meaning something fits perfectly or is perfectly suited.