Let's Go Honky-Tonkin' Trivia Quiz

Answer: A type of bar

A honky-tonk is a kind of bar, but not all bars are honky-tonks. The best definition of the term I have found is "a cheap or disreputable bar, club, or dance hall, typically where country music is played." Nobody seems to know the origin of the term honky-tonk. It was recorded in print as early as 1889. It should not be confused with "honky," a supposedly derogatory term sometimes used by American blacks to describe white people. Actually, if someone called me a honky, I'd probably just laugh at them.

Honky-tonks are found in all 50 states, but are most common in the South and Midwest. In a honky-tonk, the music is likely to be loud, anti-smoking laws ignored, and the beverage of choice is beer. The clientele will be composed of mostly working-class people, and the occasional fight or brawl is to be expected.

As for the music, it will be mostly or exclusively Country-Western, but not all Country-Western music is honky-tonk music. You're more likely to hear Dwight Yoakam than Carrie Underwood.

Answer: Hank Williams

"When you are sad and lonely and have no place to go / Call me up, sweet baby, and bring along some dough / And we'll go honky-tonkin', honky-tonkin' / Honky- tonkin', honey baby / We'll go honky-tonkin' 'round this town." Hank Sr. took the song to the number six spot in 1948, but Hank Williams, Jr. took it all the way to number one in 1982. You'll still find Hank Williams on a lot of honky-tonk jukeboxes!

Answer: If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time

"If you've got the money, Honey, I've got the time / We'll go honky-tonkin' and we'll have a time / Bring along your Cadillac, leave my ol' wreck behind / If you've got the money, Honey, I've got the time." Frizzell co-wrote the song which stayed on the charts for 22 weeks in 1950. In 1976, it was recorded by Willie Nelson, and his version also reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Chart. The girl in question had to be well-heeled, because Frizzell warned, "If you run short of money, I'll run short of time / You got no more money, Honey, I've no more time."

Answer: The Wild Side of Life

"I didn't know God made honky-tonk angels / I might have known you'd never make a wife / You gave up the only one that ever loved you / And went back to the wild side of life." The song stayed at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Chart for an amazing 15 weeks. The tune is the same as that of Roy Acuff's song, "Great Speckled Bird." Hank Thompson truly deserves his spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame; his career spanned seven decades, from the release of his first single in 1948, to his final concert on October 8, 2007, just weeks before he passed away on November 6.

Answer: Kitty Wells

Written as a response to Hank Thompson's song, Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky-Tonk Angels," actually outsold it. "It wasn't God who made honky-tonk angels / As you said in the words of your song / Too many times married men think they're still single / And that's caused many a good girl to go wrong." It was the first number one song on the Billboard Hot Country Chart to be recorded by a solo female artist.

The song helped establish Kitty Wells' place as "The Queen of Country Music." Ironically, the song was written by a man, Jay Miller.

Answer: Loretta Lynn

"I'm a Honky-Tonk Girl" only managed to make it to number 14 on the Billboard Hot Country Chart, but Loretta went on to record over a dozen number one singles. One of my favorite songs by her is "Don't Come Home A' Drinkin' (With Lovin' on Your Mind)," which she co-wrote.

Answer: Johnny Horton

"But when my money's all gone, I'm on the telephone, singing / Hey, hey, mama can your daddy come home?" The late, great Johnny Horton released this song in 1956, and it climbed to number nine on the Billboard Hot Country Chart; he released it again six years later, in 1962, and it made it to number 11. Rockabilly singer Bob Luman also charted with the song in 1970. Luman, by the way, recorded another song called "I'm a Honky-Tonk Woman's Man."

Answer: Honky-Tonk Songs

"Why don't more women sing honky-tonk songs / About the heartaches and the tough breaks / And all the men that's done us wrong?" This song was on Dolly's album, "Hungry Again." It only made it to number 74 on the Billboard Hot Country Chart, but Dolly made a video of it, and it's a pretty good song.

Answer: The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones recorded this song, and it stayed at number one for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. I guess Mick Jagger is okay as a rock singer, but when it comes to honky-tonk, he shouldn't give up his day job. He's sure no Gary Stewart or Moe Bandy.

Answer: Webb Pierce

"I'm goin' honky-tonkin', get as tight as I can / And maybe by then you'll 'preciate a good man / Tell me why baby, why baby, why baby why / You make me cry baby, cry baby, cry baby cry." With his high-pitched, expressive nasal twang, Webb Pierce could belt out a tear-jerker with the best of them, but was equally as good with up-tempo numbers.

He did a great cover of Ray Price's hit, "Heartaches By the Number."