If You Don't Like Hank Williams

Kris Kristofferson · Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends: The Publishing Demos1968-72 [2010]

(Kris Kristofferson)



I dig Bobby Dylan and I dig Johnny Cash

And I think Waylon Jennings is a table thumpin' smash

Hearin' Joni Mitchell feels as good as smokin' grass

If you don't like Hank Williams, honey, you can kiss my ass.



'Cause I think what they've done is well worth doin'

And they're doin' it the best way that they can

You're the only one that you are screwin'

When you put down what you don't understand.



--- Instrumental ---



I said I dig Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, George Jones

Shotgun Willie, Nelson and them rockin' Rolling Stones

Each thing new them Eagles do is better than their last

And if you don't like Hank Williams, honey, you can kiss my ass.



'Cause I think what they've done is well worth doin'

And they're doin' it the best way that they can

You're the only one that you are screwin'

When you put down what you don't understand.



One more time now, I think what they've done is well worth doin'

And they're doin' it the best way that they can

You're the only one that you are screwin'

When you put down what you don't understand...

If You Don't Like Hank Williams

Kris Kristofferson's 'If You Don't Like Hank Williams' serves as a poignant testament to the enduring legacy of country music's most influential figure. Recorded during the fertile early period of his songwriting career, the track appears on the 2010 compilation of publishing demos, offering a glimpse into the raw material that would define his discography. Kristofferson, a former soldier turned poet and singer, often wove literary depth into his country compositions, and this song reflects his deep reverence for the genre's foundations. By invoking Hank Williams, the work connects the emerging voice of the 1960s with the established traditions of the past. The recording highlights Kristofferson's ability to craft narratives that resonate with both personal sentiment and broader cultural homage, cementing his place among the architects of modern country music.