Story Behind The Song

This is a loosely autobiographical song. My mom taught me how to play the boogie on our piano when I was very young (4 or 5 maybe?). Unfortunately, I don't have a piano at my disposal these days, so the tune ironically has no piano track in it! It's just begging to be covered by a country band with a really great piano player.

Song Description

GW Hudgins' Honkey Tonk Heaven is a forgivably naughty, toe-tapping Christian country song. On first listen, its spirituality is overshadowed by its humor and worldliness. On subsequent listens, it's vice versa.

Lyrics

I'm goin' back to the time when I was just a little shaver;
I crawled up on a bench to taste that smokey flavor
Of the boogie woogie rhythm in my mama's piano, in the livin' room;

It was an upright, out of tune, gap-toothed Kimball,
She taught me how to play, along with Jack Be Nimble;
The keys were my Crayolas and the air was my colorin' book.

and she'd sing: Glory be! Honkey Tonk Heaven's where I wanna be, where the angels move with the rhythm and blues
and the streets are paved with harmony
and, glory be! Honkey Tonk Heaven's where I wanna be,
I'll be rollin' along just as soon as my song is thru.

Now one day I found myself eyein' the ladies,
my piano got dusty and my fingers got lazy
as I focused my attention on the girl next door;

she was an upright, outta tune, gap-toothed hussy,
she wasn't very pretty but I wasn't very fussy,
she could roll all night to the rhythm of the rhythm and blues;

and she'd sing: Glory be! Honkey Tonk Heaven's where I wanna be, where the angels move with the rhythm and blues
and the streets are paved with harmony and,
glory be! Honkey Tonk Heaven's where I wanna be,
I'll be rollin' along just as soon as my song is thru.

Now one day I hope to find an old man,
standin' in my shoes, movin' both my hands
across the ivory keyboard of a Steinway grand;

he'll be doin' the boogie, he'll be feelin' alright,
playin' boogie woogie, boogie woogie all night;
once you get that rhythm, it's something that you just can't lose.

and he'll sing: Glory be! Honkey Tonk Heaven's where I wanna be, where the angels move with the rhythm and blues
and the streets are paved with harmony and,
glory be! Honkey Tonk Heaven's where I wanna be,
I'll be rollin' along just as soon as my song is thru,
I'll be rollin' along just as soon as my song is thru.