Honky Tonk Women

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove with The Zoo Crew as we spin the classic "Honky Tonk Women" by The Rolling Stones from their 1969 album Let It Bleed! This funky, slinky track has a wild backstory. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote the song while vacationing on a remote coffee plantation ranch in Brazil in late 1968. Inspired by the local "caipiras" (rural Brazilian folks) and channeling Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers, they initially crafted a country version called "Country Honk," which you can hear on Let It Bleed. Keith Richards has said "Country Honk" was how they first envisioned the song, but it transformed into the electric, riff-driven hit we know when the band got their hands on it. Richards later called it "the culmination of everything we were good at at the time," and bassist Bill Wyman dubbed it "triumphant." They knew it was a No. 1 hit before they even finished recording!

Here’s a juicy tidbit: the song’s iconic cowbell intro, played by producer Jimmy Miller, was a happy accident. Miller set the tempo with those cowbells, but either he or drummer Charlie Watts came in slightly off, and Richards’ perfectly timed guitar riff made it work like magic. Jagger recalled in a 2016 interview clip from the documentary Olé Olé Olé!: A Trip Across Latin America that they were "kicking around old country songs" by a Brazilian river when the song came together. The track also marked the debut of guitarist Mick Taylor, who replaced Brian Jones. Taylor, only 20 at the time, brought country-blues licks that glued the song’s verses and choruses together. Some say he even shaped the famous riff, though Richards plays it. Oh, and that open-G tuning Richards uses? He learned it from roots musician Ry Cooder, who later felt the Stones "borrowed" a bit too much of his style.

Another cool story: the country version, "Country Honk," features a fiddle by Byron Berline, who was suggested by Gram Parsons. Producer Glyn Johns had Berline record his part on the pavement outside the studio for extra ambiance, and tour manager Sam Cutler honked a car horn to kick it off. The song’s lyrics paint a raunchy picture of a "gin-soaked bar-room queen in Memphis" and a divorcee in New York, with a Paris verse added in some live versions. Released as a single on July 4, 1969, the day after Brian Jones’ tragic death, it hit No. 1 in seven countries and was the Stones’ last UK chart-topper. It’s no wonder Rolling Stone magazine called it "likely the strongest three minutes of rock and roll yet released in 1969"!

Now, let’s rewind to how The Rolling Stones got their start. Formed in London in 1962, the band—Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar), Brian Jones (multi-instrumentalist), Bill Wyman (bass), and Charlie Watts (drums)—began as a gritty blues and rock ‘n’ roll outfit. They were obsessed with American blues artists like Muddy Waters (whose song "Rollin’ Stone" inspired their name) and played covers in small clubs. Manager Andrew Loog Oldham took them under his wing in 1963, pushing Jagger and Richards to write original songs and crafting their bad-boy image as a contrast to the clean-cut Beatles. Oldham even fudged their ages in promo materials to make them seem younger! Their early hits like "(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction" and "Paint It Black" cemented their place in the British Invasion, and by the late ‘60s, they were leaning into their own raunchy, rhythm-driven sound with tracks like "Honky Tonk Women."

Want to keep up with the Stones? Check out their official website at rollingstones.com, where you’ll find tour dates, merch, and more. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest updates, throwback posts, and tour buzz. Fans, or should we say Zoo Freaks, can dive deeper at fan sites like It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll for news and forums, or join the Rolling Stones Fans Facebook group to connect with fellow diehards. So, crank up "Honky Tonk Women," let those honky tonk blues wash over you, and keep rockin’ with The Zoo Crew!