Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

How “Honkytonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins Came To Life

Honkytonk Badonkadonk by Trace Adkins
by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

Whenever you ask any country fan to name their favorite country songs, chances are they’ll eventually end up naming Trace Adkins’ “Honkytonk Badonkadonk.” The song was released as the final single off his 2005 album, Songs About Me, and it turned out to be a pop crossover hit for Adkins.

It reached the top 40 on both Billboard Hot 100 and Pop 100 charts, marking Adkins’ first entry to the charts’ top 40 hits. It also peaked at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

Story Behind The Song 

Written by the country songwriters Dallas Davidson, Jamey Johnson, and Randy Houser, “Honkytonk Badonkadonk” is your ultimate party song. The moment it starts playing on the radio, you can’t help but groove to it.

According to Johnson, the song came while the trio were having a great time at Nashville’s Wild Horse Saloon. He laughingly recalled the three of them as “poor songwriters” who’d hang out at the bar to get some free beer.

Then they started to notice a girl dancing on the floor with such big buttocks – that it seemed like someone “stuffed a beach ball in her pants.” But what makes her interesting is that she was dancing like nobody’s watching. She just didn’t care about the world – though she’s drunk and wasted, she was having the time of her life.

It was then that those three songwriters began throwing one-liners and out of nowhere came “badonkadonk” – which they knew they had to write in a song right then and there. 

Johnson, Houser, and Davidson completed the song in just about one hour, but half of it was spent laughing. “And it turned out to be the best damn joke any of us had ever told,” Johnson said, and also one the biggest Trace Adkins hits.

 You can play the video below to listen to “Honkytonk Badonkadonk” by Trace Adkins.

Latest Stories

Todd Snider in a cap and denim shirt, capturing the wandering-poet spirit reflected in the alt-country tribute to his enduring songs.

Todd Snider, Revered Songwriter and Alt-Country Voice, Dies at 59

The voice behind some of alt-country’s rawest truth just went silent, and the silence feels too loud. Todd Snider, a born rambler and poet with a guitar, has died at ...

Randy Travis is holding a signed guitar while Jamey Johnson guides his hand across the strings, capturing the tender backstage moment that showed his enduring spirit.

Backstage Video Shows Jamey Johnson Helping Randy Travis Play Guitar for the First Time in Years

A legend sat down with another and reminded the world what real country looks like. Randy Travis has spent the last decade fighting battles most men would not walk away ...

Morgan Wallen Turns His Spotify Billion-Stream Awards Into Chrome Rims on His ATV

Only Morgan Wallen could turn three billion-stream plaques into a redneck masterpiece on wheels. While most artists hang their Spotify Billions Club awards in a sleek hallway next to a ...

A young Hank Williams at the microphone in a fringed western shirt, catching the charge of the TV debut that helped carry his simple song to audiences across the country.

When Hank Williams Took the Stage for His TV Debut and Sang the Country Classic That Made Him a Star

He only needed one song to change the future of country music forever. On November 14, 1951, Hank Williams made his television debut on The Perry Como Show and brought ...

Mel McDaniel, gripping the mic mid-song, was reflecting the energy he was known for before the fall that changed his career forever.

The Onstage Accident That Ended an ’80s Country Legend’s Touring Career for Good

He went out to shake hands with the crowd, but instead, he stepped into darkness and never toured again. November 13, 1996, should have been another night on the road ...

Gretchen Peters bathed in purple stage light, capturing the soulful presence behind the songwriting legacy that shaped hits for country greats.

Meet the Songwriter Behind Hits for George Strait, Patty Loveless, and Martina McBride

She wrote the kind of songs that made grown men cry and gave country women a voice when nobody else would. Before her lyrics gave voice to broken hearts and ...

Robert Irwin kneeling between two supportive partners, capturing the emotion of the DWTS tribute that brought the judges to tears and earned a perfect 40.

Robert Irwin’s Tribute to His Dad on DWTS Left the Judges in Tears and Scored a Perfect 40

The whole ballroom froze the second Robert Irwin hit that first step. It was week nine on Dancing With the Stars, and the show was throwing itself a 20th birthday ...

FBI Director Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins standing arm in arm with easy grins, reflecting the blend of Nashville roots and D.C. momentum shaping their low-key relationship.

Meet the Country Singer FBI Director Kash Patel Has Reportedly Been Dating for 2 Years

Alan Jackson once sang that country boys can survive, but in this case, it looks like a country girl just walked straight into Washington and made herself at home. Alexis ...

Alan Jackson and George Strait in contrasting cowboy hats, mirroring the tension between modern crossover flair and the traditional country stance highlighted in the CMA walkout story.

When Alan Jackson Walked Out on Beyoncé at the CMAs and Took a Stand for Real Country

Alan Jackson saw what was happening and got up without a word. The 2016 CMA Awards were supposed to be a celebration of fifty years of country music. Instead, they ...

Dolly Parton seated in a rhinestone jacket, capturing the same fearless sparkle she showed when she teased June Carter about Johnny Cash.

When Dolly Parton Told June Carter She Had Johnny Cash First and Didn’t Hold Back

Dolly Parton looked June Carter straight in the face and said, “I had him first.” Only Dolly Parton could get away with that. No hesitation, no filter, and definitely no ...