Joe Nichols honors the past by making a cover of the classic Don Williams anthem "Good Ole Boys Like Me" his latest single.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Considering Williams' status as an all-time great bass-baritone vocalist, it's rather bold to tackle a true-to-its-original cover unless you can really belt out this country classic. Nichols, the singer behind the clever "Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off," proves to have the chops necessary to pull it off. It shows off Nichols' skill as a singer and song interpreter while pointing his fans to a Hall of Famer's legacy.
In addition, it highlights writer Bob McDill's greatest work. The Texas-born songwriter tips his hat to two other Williams boys, Hank and Tennessee, while acknowledging a whole generation of country folks' shared memories of old time religion and radio heroes. Other McDill songs in the same mold include Mel McDaniels' "Louisiana Saturday Night" and Alan Jackson's "Born Country."
This song choice is a very different type of nostalgia trip for Nichols. Months prior, he covered "Baby Got Back," complete with a music video featuring the one and only Sir Mix-a-Lot. That said, a majority of Nichols' more recent material honors country's roots, so it's no surprise that he's a fan of Don, Hank and Tennessee Williams.
"Good Ole Boys Like Me" Lyrics
With a picture of Stonewall Jackson above my head
Then daddy came in to kiss his little man
With gin on his breath and a Bible in his hand
He talked about honor and things I should know
Then he'd stagger a little as he went out the door
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
So what do you do with good ole boys like me
But you ain't afraid if you're washed in the blood like I was
The smell of cape jasmine through the window screen
John R. and the Wolfman kept me company
By the light of the radio by my bed
But I watched him burn himself up on bourbon and speed
But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o'clock news
When I was eighteen, Lord, I hit the road
But it really doesn't matter how far I go
