E                                   A 
Country music singers always been a real close family 
    B7                                             E 
But lately some of my kinfolks have disowned a few others and me 
                      A 
And I guess it's because, I kinda changed my direction 
B7                                     E 
Lord, I guess I went and broke their Family Tradition 
 
So they wanna know Hank 
E                 F G/F# G 
Why do you drink? (Get Drunk) 
A 
Why do you roll smoke? (Get Stoned) 
B7                                   E 
Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?  (Get Laid) 
                             A 
Stop and think it over, put yourself in my position 
   B7                                              E 
If I get stoned, sing all night long, it's a Family Tradition.  
 

 E               A 
Lord I am very proud, of my daddy's name 
B7                                               E 
Although his kind of music, and mine ain't exactly the same 
                              A 
If I'm down in a honky-tonk, and some ol slicks tryin' to gimme some friction 
B7                                          E 
Say leave me alone singin' all night long it's a Family Tradition 
  
Chorus2: 

Still they all wanna know Hank 
E                 F G/F# G                  
Why do you drink? (Get Drunk) 
A 
Why do you roll smoke? (Get Stoned) 
B7                                  E 
Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?  (Get Laid) 
                                        A 
Stop and think it over, put yourself in my unique position 
   B7                                                          E 
If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's just a Family Tradition. 
 

E                             A 
I have loved some ladies, and I have love Jim Beam 
    B7                                                   E 
And they both tried to kill me, back in nineteen seventy-three 
                                A 
When that doctor asks me, "Son, how'd ya get in this condition?" 
       B7                                                 E 
I say "Hey Sawbone, I'm just carryin' on an old Family Tradition." 
  
Chorus:3 

So they wanna know Hank 
E             F G/F# G                   
Why do you drink? (Get Drunk) 
A 
Why do you roll smoke? (Get Stoned) 
B7                                 E 
Why must you live out the songs that you wrote?  (Get Laid) 
                                         A 
Stop and think it over, put yourself in my position 
B7                                                              E 
If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's just a Family Tradition. 
B7                                                              E 
If I get stoned and sing all night long, it's just a Family Tradition.