Kitty Wells It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (Video and Lyrics)

kitty wells

photo: c/o Grand Ole Opry

Kitty Wells' "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" is a fun throwback to a classic tune. Enjoy a vintage performance of the tune and lyrics here!

The Kitty Wells It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels song was released in August 23, 1952, which propelled her to the national spotlight. The song was the first ever by a solo female country singer to top the U.S. country music charts.  “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” is a groundbreaking song that challenged the traditional gender roles and moral standards of its time. The song became an instant hit and launched Wells to international fame.  It made her a star, and led to her nickname “The Queen of Country Music.”

Check out the vintage music video and see the written lyrics below!

Kitty Wells It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels Video

The song’s lyrics, written by J. D. Miller, were a response to a popular song of the time, “The Wild Side of Life” by Hank Thompson. “The Wild Side of Life” was a cautionary tale about the dangers of women who frequented honky-tonk bars and led men astray. The lyrics suggested that the women were to blame for their wayward behavior and that men were innocent victims of their seductive powers.

In contrast, “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” turned the tables on this narrative, asserting that men were just as responsible for the breakdown of relationships as women. The song’s opening lines, “As I sit here tonight, the jukebox playing / The tune about the wild side of life / As I listen to the words you are saying / It brings memories when I was a trusting wife,” set the scene for a powerful message about the double standards faced by women in society.

“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” Lyrics

As I sit here tonight the jukebox playin’
The tune about the wild side of life
As I listen to the words you are sayin’
It brings memories when I was a trusting wife

It wasn’t God who made Honky Tonk angels
As you said in the words of your song
Too many times married men think they’re still single
That has caused many a good girl to go wrong

It’s a shame that all the blame is on us women
It’s not true that only you men feel the same
From the start most every heart that’s ever broken
Was because there always was a man to blame

It wasn’t God who made Honky Tonk angels
As you said in the words of your song
Too many times married men think they’re still single
That has caused many a good girl to go wrong

Wells’ success with “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” paved the way for other female country artists to challenge the prevailing attitudes of their time. The song was not only a hit in the country music world, but it also crossed over to the pop charts, introducing a new audience to Wells’ unique brand of feminist country music.  Throughout her career, Wells continued to challenge gender stereotypes and promote women’s rights through her music. Her legacy as a pioneer of women in country music endures to this day, and her influence can be heard in the work of countless artists who followed in her path.

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