What is a Honky-Tonk?

In daily and casual contact with people, it seems that many really don’t know what a honky-tonk is. Either they may have never known what a honky-tonk was because they are too young or they have forgotten. Perhaps they are in the age group that came after the honky-tonk had faded. I find this to be the case many times.

A definition of a honky-tonk in a Random House Dictionary defines it as “A cheap, noisy, and garish nightclub or dance hall.” Anyone who ever visited a honky-tonk might give a different definition such as “A place to enjoy music and dancing with friends and acquaintances.”

Since the pioneer days, Texans and others have loved music and dancing. 1920s and 30s house dances or house parties, were a part of the Texas culture into the1920s and 1930s and later. These parties provided a sense of community, entertainment and relief (although it may have been temporary) from the hard life as it was back then. Friends and neighbors would gather at a home after a hard week’s work, move the furniture out, sometimes out in the yard, roll up the rug, and play music and dance all night long.

World War II changed everyone’s life radically, and many rural folks migrated to urban areas. However, their sense of community, love of music and a desire for live entertainment and dancing burned bright as ever; even in an urban setting. At that time the surge of air conditioning and TV had not fostered the practice of staying home and watching TV. A practice which eventually seemed to isolate us from one another.

The honky-tonks, dance halls, clubs or whatever you wanted to call them satisfied the need people felt to be with others, to enjoy live music, have a good time and dance with old friends and make new ones.

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