"Family Tradition" is a song written and recorded by American musician Hank Williams Jr.
At the same time proclaiming how proud and honored he is to be part of his father's musical legacy, the younger Williams makes clear that his musical style – southern rock and blues fused with honky tonk – is very different from the solely blues-oriented honky-tonk popular during Williams' lifetime.
Taking off on the point of his father, the younger Williams notes that the hard-living lifestyle is a "family tradition," referring to the alcohol and drug use that became associated with his personal life.
[2] When played in concert, at parties, or sung at karaoke, "Family Tradition" frequently becomes a call-and-response song during the chorus.
[4] For the 2008 US presidential campaign, Williams wrote a version of the song called "McCain-Palin Tradition", supporting John McCain and including topical references such as the 2008 bank bailout, Sarah Palin's record in Alaska, and an indirect reference to the claim that their opponent, Barack Obama, was linked to "terrorist friends".