family tradition

you know country music singers have 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

tell me 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 predictions

so if i get stoned

i'm just carrying on an old family tradition

i am very proud of my daddy's name

all though 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

won't you tell me hank why do you drink? oh hank why do you roll smoke?

why must you live out the songs your daddy wrote?

if i'm down in a honky-tonk some ole slick's trying to give me friction

i said 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 by the 1973

when that doctor asked me

son how did you get in this condition?"