Sometimes, you don’t want deep, introspective, or thought-provoking lyrics. Sometimes, you just want to turn on some music that is the sonic equivalent of a summer blockbuster and ride the vibe without paying too much attention. That’s likely how millions of listeners let the worst lyrics in these hit country songs slide.
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These aren’t the songs with the worst lyrics in country history. Some of them are solid releases from some of the biggest names in the genre. However, they all contain at least one horribly cringeworthy line.
[RELATED: 4 of the Most Heartbreaking Lyrics in Country Music History]
1. “Drunk on You” by Luke Bryan
Penned by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, and Josh Kerr, Luke Bryan released “Drunk on You” in 2012 as the third single from his album Tailgates & Tanlines. It went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and broke into the top 20 of the Hot 100. The latter was a first for Bryan.
“Drunk on You” fits the “short shorts, moonlight, girl, tailgate, truck, beer” mold in which many popular songs from the 2010s were cast. The song paints a picture of a young couple in love at a field party, and it’s fine. Then, the chorus comes along, and it becomes hard to choose which line is the worst. The strongest contender is also the first line: Girl, you make my speakers go boom boom. Interestingly, the other half of the rhyming couplet for that line comes in at a close second. That kinda thing makes a man go mmm mmm.
2. “Boys ’Round Here” by Blake Shelton featuring The Pistol Annies and Friends
Written by Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Craig Wiseman, who are included in the “and friends”, wrote “Boys ‘Round Here.” Blake Shelton released it in 2013 as a single from the album Based on a True Story. It topped the Country Airplay chart, peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and No. 16 on the Hot 100. It was Shelton’s highest-charting single on the all-genre chart.
“Boys ‘Round Here” is a celebration of living the Southern and/or country lifestyle. While it’s not a terrible song, its lyrics do feature one of the worst lines in country music history. Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit.
3. “I Don’t Know About You” by Chris Lane
Written by Ashley Gorley, HARDY, Hunter Phelps, and Jameson Rodgers, Chris Lane released “I Don’t Know About You” in 2018 as the second single from his sophomore album Laps Around the Sun. It topped the Country Airplay Chart and peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It also brought Lane a top 40 hit on the Hot 100.
“I Don’t Know About You” is a cute song that sees a guy trying to get to know a woman he met at the bar. There’s some clever writing, and the chorus offers a nice play on the title. It would be a pretty smooth song if not for the lines Girl, I know your favorite beer / ‘Cause you told me and I bought it.
4. “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins
Written by Dallas Davidson, Randy Houser, and Jamey Johnson, Trace Adkins released “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” in 2005 as the third single from his album Songs About Me. It was a No. 2 country hit for Adkins and broke into the top 40 on the Hot 100.
You’d think it would be hard to pick the worst lyrics from a country song that borders on self-parody. It wasn’t, though. And woo-wee, shut my mouth, slap your grandma just kind of jumps out of the sea of lines that are a close second and announces itself. Woo-wee, indeed.
Featured Image by Tammie Arroyo/Shutterstock
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