[Verse 1]
Country music singers
Have always been a real close family
But lately some of my kin folks
Have disowned a few others and me
I guess it's because
I kinda changed my direction
Lord I guess I went and broke the family tradition

[Chorus]
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
Some ol' slicks tryin to give me friction
I'll say leave me alone
I'm singin' all night long
I'm just caryin' on an old family tradition

[Verse 2]
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 did you get in this condition
I said hey sawbones I'm just carryin on
An old family tradition
[Chorus]
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
Some ol' slicks tryin to give mesome friction
I'll say leave me alone
I'm singin' all night long
I'm just caryin' on an old family tradition
I'm singin' all night long
I'm just caryin' on an old family tradition