"Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" is a song written and recorded by American musician Hank Williams Jr. It was released in September 1979 as the first single and title track from his album of the same name. It peaked at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart[1] and reached number-one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.
| "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Hank Williams Jr. | ||||
| from the album Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound | ||||
| B-side | ""O.D.'d in Denver" | |||
| Released | September 24, 1979 | |||
| Recorded | June 25th, 1979 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:09 | |||
| Label | Elektra/Curb | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Hank Williams Jr. | |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Bowen | |||
| Hank Williams Jr. singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editHank wrote the song while hanging out with the Allman Brothers. Hank came up with the opening lines after Dickey Betts asked him how he writes country songs, Hank replied with "Well I got a good woman at home." the rest was allegedly written in 10 minutes[2]
Cover versions
editCountry music singer Tim McGraw covered the song from the television special CMT Giants: Hank Williams Jr.
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1979) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[3] | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[4] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 389.
- ^ Music, Saving Country (2019-06-25). "40 years ago today, Hank Williams Jr. records "Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound" in Nashville. He wrote the song while hanging w/ the Allman Brothers. Dickey Betts asked Jr. how he writes country songs. Jr. belted, "Well I got a good woman at home.." The rest came together in 10 mins". @KyleCoroneos. Retrieved 2019-06-27.
- ^ "Hank Williams, Jr. Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "American single certifications – Hank Williams, Jr. – Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 29, 2024.