Down to the Honkytonk

Album: Greetings From… Jake (2018)
Charted: 65
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This stomping romper finds Jake Owen delivering a love letter to honky tonks everywhere.

    The only place you might see my name
    Is on the wall for a good call
    I'm a local legend on Friday night
    With past blue ribbon and a neon light


    The singer raises a glass to the simple pleasures that can be found in a barroom.
  • Owen said he loves going to the Honky tonks both in Nashville and around the country, "It's all about a place to have beers with friends, a place to listen to good country music and catch up on great stories," he explained.
  • Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird and Shane McAnally wrote this feel-good singalong. Owen chose to record the tune as he suspected it was one that would easily get stuck in listeners' heads.

    "It's a special kinda song. I think when people hear that song, it's one of those that's just like an earworm," he said. "It's something that connects, and I feel like in a world of a lot of music and art and ways to distract us and our attention, it's super-important if you're gonna put out any sort of content, that it's content that grabs people's attention."
  • The video was filmed on Lower Broadway in Nashville, Tennessee, and features Owen leading a group of partygoers on a bar crawl along that street. Justin Clough and Ben Skipworth directed the clip. Clough also shot the visual for the Florida native's previous single "I Was Jack (You Were Diane)."

Comments: 1

  • Marcus from 77566Tell Jake Owen to clean up This lyrics to changed She goes bats--t on tequila to She goes completely mad or crazy on Tequila.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

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.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."