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 kind
Of changed my direction
Lord, I guess I went and
Broke their family tradition
They get on me, they wanna 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 made 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
Ol' slick's trying to give me friction
I 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'd you get in this condition?"
I said, "A hey Sawbones
I'm just carrying on an
Old 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?"
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