Sam Williams Reimagines His Grandfather’s Country Classic, “Honky Tonkin,'” Into A Pop Song, & Hank Definitely Didn’t Do It This Way

Hank definitely didn’t do it this way… and I guess that’s the point.

Today, Hank Williams’ grandson, and the son of Hank Williams Jr., Sam Williams, released his new record, Act II: COUNTRYSTAR. This record is the second installment of his trilogy project. Act II: COUNTRYSTAR  leans into pop and hip-hop-based country melodies, which is a sharp turn from the ballad and instrumental Act I: Scarlet Lonesome. 

If you haven’t listened to Act I, I highly recommend checking out his duet with Carter Faith,”‘Til I Can’t Make It On My Own.” It’s a phenomenal heartbreaker.

But back to Act II: COUNTRYSTAR. 

On the record, Williams reimagines his grandfather’s classic tune “Honky Tonkin,’ paying homage to the legacy of Hank Williams by inserting a snippet of the original song into the start of the tune, and borrowing from the chorus.

“Honky Tonkin'” was penned and recorded by Hank Williams in 1947. His song reached #14 on the Billboard country music chart in 1948 and is now considered a staple in Hank Williams’ catalog. In 1982, it became the sixth chart-topping single for Williams’ son, Hank Williams Jr., who added his outlaw flair, making it a rocking country swing tune.

With the release of Sam Williams’ take on the tune, he shared with People Magazine that he wanted to cover this song, but in a way that felt like it was his own.

“I felt it was time to have some ownership of my legacy in a way that is nostalgic but belongs to me. I wanted it to be sort of camp and fun and encompass a lot of my pop influences, too. I think the original ‘Honky Tonkin” created a lot of good times for a lot of people, and I’ve started to want to do that in my music.”

The result is far from what you’d imagine when you think of the Hank Williams name. And while it’s certainly original, I don’t think it will follow in his father’s footsteps to become a chart-topping hit.

Sam Williams took the tune and turned it into a hip-hop song, which kind of ruins it, in my humble opinion. It sounds like a club mix that you’d hear at Diplo’s Honky Tonk at Coachella. And no shade to Diplo, I’m a big fan, but you sure wouldn’t be played at any honky tonk or country dive bar.

Williams leaned into the poppiness of the melody and penned different lyrics alongside Andrew DeRobert and Amy Stroup. With the differing lyrics to the tune as well, to call this a reimagination of “Honky Tonkin'” feels like a massive stretch. It’s an entirely different song.

Of course, Sam Williams is far from what you’d imagine when you hear the Williams last name, as he has not followed in the classic country footsteps of his family members. And that’s completely fine. Sam Williams has created some excellent music throughout his career, and is a pretty talented dude. He’s staying true to his own lane and embracing his unique and bold style.

Honestly, I was a bit surprised to see such creative liberty taken with this cover, given that he had previously covered his father’s classic “Mr. Weatherman” beautifully, as well as his grandfather’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” In each of these covers of traditional country songs, Williams still found a way to preserve the integrity of the original recording while making it his own.

There are times that I reach for his rendition of “Mr. Weatherman” over the original because it breathes a fresh perspective into the lyrical delivery and cuts you to the core.

After hearing “HONKYTONKIN” and reading his exclusive interview with People Magazine, it broke my heart a little to read his final statements, in which he wishes he could hear his grandfather say he is proud of him.

“I’d like him to tell me that he’s proud of me. I think that’s the most natural thing to say. You seek that from your parents and the people you look up to. Coming from a family that I didn’t get to meet and everybody seems to know or feel like they know, that approval would be so validating.” 

Given that Hank Williams passed away at such a young age, I’m sure there is a longing for approval and to carry on the legacy. We have heard Hank Williams Jr. speak about that pressure numerous times, and how it almost killed him to try and fill his father’s shoes. And for Sam, he’s never tried to fill those shoes… good for him.

But I just think this rendition was a miss in my book…

Before you go, fire up his covers of “Mr. Weatherman” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”

The post Sam Williams Reimagines His Grandfather’s Country Classic, “Honky Tonkin,'” Into A Pop Song, & Hank Definitely Didn’t Do It This Way first appeared on Whiskey Riff.