Download Instrumental    Can’t say I’m a Garth Brooks fan – never have been, probably never will be. But I like the piano riffs in this one, and that’s good enough for me to trot it out on stage.  Some of my most fun gigs have been in rowdy country bars, even though I’m not what you’d call a “country boy”. But I love the idea of a music genre that could turn into an adventure in a split second.  I remember Karen jumping between me and a guy with a knife one night.  She ended up on the floor and I didn’t…crazy woman. But that’s honky-tonk for ya!  I even like to say it.  Go ahead, say it out loud – Honky-Tonk  – now ain’t that fun?  Put this arrangement on your country set list.  The Holiday Inn crowd will love it…

“American Honky-Tonk Bar Association” reached the top of the Hot Country Songs list in 1993.  It’s sort of a redneck anthem that compares honky-tonk bars to support groups for “blue collar” people.  By today’s standards (if there are any), this tune might be considered a bit “edgy” and low on the political correctness scale – especially unfortunate lyrics like “but when your dollar goes to all those standing in a welfare line”.  But you can change the lyrics to anything you want, as long as it rhymes.  It’s the music we’re talking about here, folks.  This song is just plain fun to play – great country boogie beat, walking bass line, that piano, and even a fiddle thrown in for good measure.

The music played in the old West saloons was first referred to as “honky tonk” music.  It was usually played on an out-of-tune upright piano stuck in the corner of the bar – so as to be out of the way when the fight started (uh… been there, done that).  These days, it’s just a bar that caters to country music fans.  I think the “old west” scenario is much more colorful and romantic – where’s Miss Kitty when you need her? The first time “honky-tonk” was used in print was in the Peoria Journal on June 28, 1874.  The news story read, “The police spent a busy day today raiding the bagnios and honky tonks”.  Okay… but what’s a “bagnio”?