Every Little Honky Tonk Bar

Album: Honky Tonk Time Machine (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • George Strait co-wrote this blue-collar good-time tune with his son Bubba and frequent collaborator Dean Dillon. They had been ready to pack in their writing session when Bubba suddenly came up with a suggestion for a song that the other two knew they couldn't pass up.

    "We were down at my ranch in south Texas writing and it was kind of towards the end of the night and we were pretty much done," recalled Strait. "I was tired and ready to go to bed, but we were going, 'Does anybody have anything else?' Bubba goes, 'Whiskey is the gasoline that lights the fire that burns the bridge.' And Dean and I go, 'What? Where did that come from?' [laughs] So, anyway, that's how it started and we finished it that night."
  • The King of Country first unveiled the track to his fans during his December 8, 2018 show in Las Vegas, as part of his ongoing Strait to Vegas residency.
  • "Every Little Honky Tonk Bar" was George Strait's biggest hit in six years. The last time a Strait single reached the top 20 of the country chart was in 2013 when "Give It All We Got Tonight" made it to #7.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"

Dean Friedman - "Ariel"They're Playing My Song

Dean's saga began with "Ariel," a song about falling in love with a Jewish girl from New Jersey.

Concert Disasters

Concert DisastersFact or Fiction

Ozzy biting a dove? Alice Cooper causing mayhem with a chicken? Creed so bad they were sued? See if you can spot the real concert mishaps.

Michael Glabicki of Rusted Root

Michael Glabicki of Rusted RootSongwriter Interviews

Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.

Kevin Godley

Kevin GodleySongwriter Interviews

Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.