Wheeler Walker Jr.’s 12 Favorite Dirty Country Songs
On Tuesday, Wheeler Walker Jr. launches his solo tour in support of his debut album Redneck Shit. The country parody artist (the alter ego of comedian Ben Hoffman) assembled a new band of pickers to help re-create originals like "Beer, Weed, Cooches," "Better Off Beatin' Off" and the title track of the record, which debuted at Number 9 on the Billboard Country Albums chart in February.
Ahead of the tour, we asked Walker to share his favorite off-color country songs. "Everybody always asks me what my favorite dirty country songs are," he tells Rolling Stone Country. "I don't know if these are all dirty or all country, but they're certainly made by artists who don't give a fuck — and that's the only artists I give a shit about."
Here's Walker's tour dates, followed by his dirty dozen songs and why he included each.
May 31 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
June 1 – Lincoln, NE @ The Bourbon Theatre
June 2 – Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
June 3 – St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
June 4 – Chicago @ Bottom Lounge
June 6 – Bloomington, IN @ Bluebird Nightclub
June 16 – Dallas, TX @ Cambridge Room (House of Blues)
June 17 – New Orleans @ Parish (House of Blues)
June 18 – Houston @ Bronze Peacock (House of Blues)
June 19 – Austin, TX @ Grizzly Hall
June 22 – New York City @ Mercury Lounge
June 23 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
June 25 – Philadelphia @ The Foundry (The Fillmore)
June 26 – Vienna, VA @ Jammin’ Java
July 7 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
July 8 – Seattle @ Tractor Tavern
July 10 – San Francisco @ The Independent
July 11 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
July 12 – West Hollywood, CA @ The Troubadour
July 13 – San Diego @ The Cashbah
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“Pick ‘Em, Lick ‘Em, Stick ‘Em,” David Allan Coe
"We all knew Coe was gonna be on the list. I like this tune because it sounds like 'The Gambler,' but he's talking about fucking, which to me is a way bigger gamble than any poker game I've ever played."
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“You’ve Never Been This Far Before,” Conway Twitty
"As a kid we used to always drive from Kentucky to Nashville and I'd see the sign for Twitty City, back when it was around. I thought it was dumb until I heard this Conway song where he's basically finger-banging this girl…and then I knew Conway was the man."
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“Dirty Mind,” Hank Williams Jr.
"A lot of people call me a 'Hank Jr.' wanna-be and I always tell 'em to fuck off. But whenever I listen to 'Dirty Mind' I quietly think to myself, 'Maybe they're fuckin' right…'"
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“Outlaw Shit,” Waylon Jennings
"You gotta have Waylon on any list. This song was finished after he passed away and I think Shooter Jennings and Dave Cobb finished it up with some friends. I love that the title is so harsh but the song is so vulnerable. I'll probably cover it on tour. I mean, it'll sound one-tenth as good as his version, but fuck it, I just love playing it."
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“Warshin’ My Big Ol Pussy,’ Birdcloud
"These girls are opening up for me on tour. And this song should explain why. Sure, it's big… but it's clean. And that's what's important."
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“Piss Up a Rope,” Ween
"I love Ween. Every record is great. But when they went down to Nashville to record a country record [1996's 12 Golden Country Greats] I thought it was a joke. Then I listened. . . and every song is killer. Plus, country needs more songs about piss. This is just too fuckin' good."
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“Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other,” Willie Nelson
"I mean, who besides Willie could get away with this, essentially questioning the manhood of his listeners? But it works, because he's Willie fuckin' Nelson. It's Willie in his finest 'Don't give a shit' mode."
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“Old Shit,” Miranda Lambert
"I'm sure someone at the label told Miranda not to release a song with 'shit' in the title. And I'm sure she told 'em to fuck off. That's why I love Miranda Lambert."
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“You Can Have the Crown,” Sturgill Simpson
"Sturgill's the best out there right now. This isn't that dirty of a song, but I wanted to put him on the list. Plus, it has the line, 'They call me king turd up here on shit mountain / but if you want it you can have the crown.' Now that's a great line."
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“Cuntry Boner,” Puscifer
"I love Tool. When I found out that [singer] Maynard James Keenan had another band and they had a country song, I was psyched. And then when I heard he basically fucks every country star in history in it. . . well, they had me hook, line and sinker."
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“Gangsta of Love,” Geto Boys
"OK, so it's not country, but they're from Houston, and it samples one of the best country-rock licks of all time: 'Sweet fuckin' Home Alabama.' So I'm gonna count this. I've tried to cover this a million times, but it's just too damn perfect."
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“Sit on My Face,” Wheeler Walker Jr.
"I gotta put one of my own songs on here. Shit, I'm trying to sell tour tickets and albums! But, honestly, this is more about the band and the production. They just nailed the groove in this one. I told 'em to 'play it like your lady's sittin' on your face!' And they sure as hell did."