Country Music – Country Dancing Tonight

As someone that enjoys dancing in a county bar and especially the Two Step, it is always fun when the country song we're dancing to actually has some lyrics about country dancing and all things dancing or honky-tonks–the place where we usually are at that moment! It is perfect poetry when we're dancing to lyrics that are about us dancing! For a while now I've been wanting to try to capture all the songs I've noticed that have this in them to put in a good list. Here are twenty-five I've gathered together for you to consider. Hopefully, you enjoy this as a new playlist, or if you're a DJ, use this as a resource for songs to play for your hardwood dance floor crowd. The best country songs about dancing include classic and contemporary. The newer often are neo-traditional country songs and include artists like John Pardi, Midland, and Cody Johnson. Often these songs about country dancing focus on honky-tonks, the place where we find country music and dancing. In each of the songs I've listed, I've noted if the lyrics are about partner dancing or line dancing and what type of dance it is good for-Two Step, a Cha Cha, or a line dance. Look over the list, which also serves as a clickable table of contents to details about each song below. I’ve listed these by year, but also click down to my chart that sorts them by BPM and what kind of country dancing might work with these songs. Also, check out my article on good songs for the Two Step here. And as a bonus, I have my Spotify playlist embedded here to just quickly play them all! 1. The Dance by Garth Brooks (1989)2. Slow Country Dance by Mary Chapin Carpenter (1989)3. Down at the Twist & Shout, by Mary Chapin Carpenter (1990)4. Boot Scootin' Boogie by Brooks and Dunn (1991)5. Life's a Dance by John Michael Montgomery (1992)6. I Just Wanna Dance With You by George Strait (1998)7. We Danced by Brad Paisley (1999)8. Take me out to a Dancehall by Pat Green (1999)9. I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack (2000)10. I Love This Bar by Toby Keith (2003)11. Buy Myself a Chance by Randy Rogers (2008)12. We're Gonna Dance by Cody Jinks (2008)13. Why Don't We Just Dance by Josh Turner (2010) 14. Footloose by Blake Shelton (2011)15. I Don't Dance by Lee Brice (2014)16. Dance Her Home by Cody Johnson (2014)17. Heartache on the Dance Floor by John Pardi (2016)18. Heartache Medication by John Pardi (2019)19. Every Little Honky Tonk Bar by George Strait (2019)20. Honky Tonk Time Machine by George Strait (2019)21. Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floors by Cody Johnson (2021)22. Two to Two Step by Midland (2021)23. Heaven's Jukebox by Jaden Hamilton (2021)24. Boots by Aaron Watson (2021)25. You In a Honky Tonk by Randall King (2023) 1. The Dance by Garth Brooks (1989) BPM134Can be danced to withCha Cha dances & The line dance: The Dance We Share! (among many!) Starting off is the obvious classic country song about dancing! At first, I didn't think The Dance should make the list since my goal here is songs that really speak to our actual nights out at the dance hall. Garth Brooks' song "The Dance" speaks to a much deeper theme of course. When I was going through the deep pain of my divorce, this was one of the songs that came to mind. And as painful as it all was the song was a great comfort since its lyrics are true! Life is like a dance! It's just a moment, and then it's over, or you could also say it's a collection of moments: many experiences that we live in for moments, and then they end. But it's better to have had those experiences and enjoyed them than not at all! This song obviously applies to the most significant "dances" we've known in our lives, but I like to think it can also speak to shorter ones too! The 26-year-long dance I had with someone who later said good-bye, and more recent literal dances I've had with people at my local country bar. Both are dances we shared. Looking back on the memory ofThe dance we shared 'neath the stars aboveFor a moment all the world was rightHow could I have known that you'd ever say goodbye And now I'm glad I didn't knowThe way it all would end the way it all would goOur lives are better left to chanceI could have missed the painBut I'd have had to miss the dance Holding you I held everythingFor a moment wasn't I a kingBut if I'd only known how the king would fallHey who's to say you know I might have changed it all And now I'm glad I didn't knowThe way it all would end the way it all would goOur lives are better left to chanceI could have missed the painBut I'd have had to miss the dance Yes my life is better left to chanceI could have missed the painBut I'd have had to miss the dance Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/N6uyfTmPq9U To listen to The Dance see the Spotify playlist above, but play this video to learn about the interesting story behind the song! Also check out the video below! https://youtu.be/J5pah6N8LeM Garth Brooks singing The Dance last year in concert to an appreciative Dublin, Ireland crowd. back to top 2. Slow Country Dance by Mary Chapin Carpenter (1989) BPM109Can be danced to withThe Waltz or Cha Cha Next, as the title of the song suggests, is a slow country song by Mary Chapin Carpenter. I'm a big fan of hers, but didn't remember this one! The lyrics are full and all about a night out country dancing. What I love about this is that the slow BPM lends itself to a waltz and the song references the Waltz! At 109 I believe you could also do a Cha Cha to this. Out on the floor the couples are swingingTo one Faded Love on the jukebox tonightYou slide in your coinsAnd the music keeps playingA slow country danceOn a Saturday night Sweethearts in love and others just lonelySearching for someone to waltz with tonightIn a smoky old bar you know that it's onlyA slow country danceOn a Saturday night And love's never easy or ever as trueWhen the changing of partnersIs no longer newYou lead with your heart and closing your eyesDance just to danceIn three-quarter time Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/3uM4h6wAzMg Listen to Slow Country Dance here or above in the Spotify playlist. back to top 3. Twist & Shout, by Mary Chapin Carpenter (1990) BPM192Can be danced to withThe Two Step For the third one, another Mary Chapin Carpenter song! I've also included this one over in my list of 39 Great Country Two Step Songs for the Dance Floor. And, like the first song, it is a song about the dance that the dance also works with! Yes, with its uptempo beat, you can dance the Two Step to it! In fact, I have often Two Stepped to this song at my local country bar. And I usually point this out to whoever I'm dancing with in the moment! Saturday night and the moon is outI wanna head on over to the Twist and ShoutFind a two-step partner and a Cajun beatWhen it lifts me up I'm gonna find my feetOut in the middle of a big dance floorWhen I hear that fiddle, wanna beg for moreWanna dance to a band from a-Lou'sian' tonight Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/SuapCENFM2U Mary Chapin Carpenter's music video for Down At The Twist and Shout. back to top 4. Boot Scootin' Boogie by Brooks and Dunn (1991) BPM130Can be danced withMany choreographed line dances (Try Tom Madox's & Skippy Blair's version) The next song about dancing is about line dancing. Or is it? Upon closer examination of the lyrics I think it is only saying country dancing of some sort. Check out the lyrics: Yeah, heel toe, docie doe, come on, baby, let's go, boot scootin'Oh, Cadillac, Black Jack, baby meet me outback we're gonna boogieOh, get down turn around go to town boot scootin' boogie The bartender asks me, say, "Son what'll it be"I want a shot at that redhead yonder lookin' at meThe dance floors hoppin', and it's hotter than the Fourth of JulyI see outlaws inlaws crooks and straightsAll out makin' it shake doin' the boot scootin' boogie Click Album Cover to purchase the song! To me, the mystique of this song and then the actual line dance choreography (there are actually many line dances now for the song) that followed is that it is about a fictitious dance that didn't exist called The Boot Scootin' Boogie. Word has it that Ronnie Dunn when writing the song simply meant it as a tribute to line dancing. I wonder if, in Ronnie Dunn's mind, it was a good way to describe all line dancing! In the music video which shows a live show, it does look like some sort of line dance happening–I saw some pivot turns! https://youtu.be/d05tQrhNMkA Check out the classic music video for Brooks & Dunn's Boot Scootin' Boogie https://youtu.be/_Jb47nuimFI Here's a great demo of the Boot Scootin’ Boogie seen at the Cowboy Palace, Chatsworth, California. back to top 5. Life's a Dance by John Michael Montgomery (1992) BPM135Can be danced withMany choreographed line dances The next one here's another one like Garth Brooks' The Dance–it's more metaphorical than about literal dancing. But I still like it! And I think there are things about the lyrics that apply both to our lives as well as an actual night out dancing! When I was 14 I was fallin' fast for a blue-eyed girl in my homeroom classTryin' to find the courage to ask her out was like tryin' to get oil from a waterspoutWhat she would have said I can't sayI never did ask and she moved awayBut I learned somethin' from my blue-eyed girlSink or swim you gotta give it a whirl Life's a dance you learn as you goSometimes you lead, sometimes you followDon't worry about what you don't knowLife's a dance you learn as you go Click Album Cover to purchase the song! I can for sure relate to the looking for courage part of this song. And as a new dancer, it certainly applies to the dance floor: sink or swim you gotta give it a whirl!... You learn as you go! https://youtu.be/TOp_EW-Mirs The official video for John Michael Mongomery's song Life's a Dance. back to top 6. I Just Wanna Dance With You George Strait (1998) BPM114Can be danced withCha Cha Dances Next, here's a great classic from George Strait! This song really touches on that great moment when dancing becomes romantic and is a place to enjoy your special someone! Also, at 114 BPMs it is a great song for all the country cha cha dances. For my article about the popular ones click here. I don't want to be the kind to hesitateBe too shy, wait too lateI don't care what they say other lovers doI just wanna dance with you I gotta feeling that you have a heart like mineSo let it show, let it shineIf we have a chance to make one heart of twoI just wanna dance with you I wanna dance with youTwirl you all around the floorThat's what they intended dancin' forAnd I just wanna dance with you Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/sbNoyjfYNMc Check out this grainy, but great live performance of George Strait performing and singing I Just Wanna Dance with You. back to top 7. We Danced by Brad Paisley (1999) BPM146Can be danced withMany choreographed line dances I became a country music fan in the early 2000s, so was fortunate enough to get in on some '90s country still playing on the radio. I remember this song played a lot and I really loved it. I think what we like about it is the great story-telling of the woman that left her purse and had to come back to the bar after closing to get it! The bar was emptyI was sweeping up the floorThat's when she walked inI said, I'm sorry but we're closedAnd she said "I knowBut I'm afraid I left my purse"I said, "I put one back behind the barI bet it's probably yours"And the next thing that I knewThere we were, lost in conversationBefore I handed her her purseI said, "You'll only get this back on one condition" And we dancedOut there on that empty hardwood floorThe chairs up and the lights turned way down lowThe music played, we held each other closeAnd we danced Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/u6lTU_bhISI Here's a great lyric video for the song We Danced by Brad Paisley. back to top 8. Take Me Out to a Dancehall by Pat Green (1999) BPM132Can be danced withTwo Step Since I'm a big Pat Green fan I have a Pat Green Pandora channel and often hear this song. This song in particular may have inspired this whole blog post! To me "Take Me Out to a Dancehall" really captures the kind of songs that I wanted for this list. A song about the desire to get out on the dancefloor! This one would work for Two Step, but I'm not sure if I've ever actually heard it played while dancing–that would be cool! And of course, the song is also largely about a date night at the dancehall! So take me out to a dancehallTap my foot down to the rhythmTell 'em to play them old songs that we all loveAnd you tell me that you want me and I tell you that I want you tooAnd I'll kiss your face, whenever you want me to. Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/ijGdyMXPqyc This YouTube video is a cool slide show of some vintage Texas dance halls to Pat Green's Take Me Out to the Dancehall. https://youtu.be/5sosBFCfiL0 A live performance of Take Me Out to the Dancehall by Pat Green. back to top 9. I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack (2000) BPM151Can be danced withMany choreographed line dances For the next one, I've included a classic country song about dancing that for sure couldn't be left off this list. Check out both videos below. The latter is Leanne Womack's official music video, but the first is the songwriter's story of how she came to write I hope you dance. While this one, like Garth Brooks' The Dance, feels like another metaphorical song about dancing, it also applies to actual dancing! When you are out dancing, you will constantly be faced with the "choice to sit it out or dance" so...I hope you dance! I hope you never lose your sense of wonderYou get your fill to eat but always keep that hungerMay you never take one single breath for grantedGod forbid love ever leave you empty handedI hope you still feel small when you stand beside the oceanWhenever one door closes, I hope one more opensPromise me that you'll give faith a fighting chanceAnd when you get the choice to sit it out or danceI hope you dance Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/img8QjmaGaw https://youtu.be/RV-Z1YwaOiw Leann Womack's official music video for I Hope You Dance. back to top 10. I Love This Bar by Toby Keith (2003) BPM115Can be danced withCha Cha Toby Keith's I love this bar is a classic song about a honky tonk. I think as country dancers that frequent our local country dance saloon we can so relate to it. We often talk about our "home bar," meaning we get around to a lot of the places to dance, but we generally have a favorite local spot. And, just like the lyrics of this song, there are so many little things and nuances that we come to love about our place. But dancing is also mentioned: "trollin' around the dance floor" is odd to me. It's a fishing term, so I guess it means casting a line to catch a new lady. I like to insert in my mind Two-Stepping around the dance floor for that part! But I love this barIt's my kind of placeJust trollin' around the dance floorPuts a big smile on my faceNo cover chargeCome as you areHmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love this barHmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I just love this old bar About the video below...The very well know official music video was filmed at the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth, California. The iconic honky tonk is often used for filming saloon and dancing scenes to this day. I've visited and really love that bar! Check out my review here. It's a great place to make your home bar if you live in the area and do your line dancing and Two Stepping at! Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/-Fulz4ytZ54 Check out the official music video for Toby Keith's I Love This Bar, filmed at the Cowboy Palace in Chatsworth, CA. back to top 11. Buy Myself a Chance by Randy Rogers (2008) BPM110Can be danced withTwo Step, Cha Cha Like #8 here's another song that got on the list because of my Texas Pandora radio station. This great song really has it all! It's a country song you can Two Step or do a Cha Cha to that is not only about dancing but tells a great story about the drama and romance of asking someone to dance at the dancehall. And in the case of the song's hopeful dancer, he's hoping to steal the girl with the help of his dancing ability, a good song, and the "two left feet" of the girl's boyfriend. Another thing that solidly puts this song on the list is that Randy Rogers when writing this song had in mind the goal to get people out on the dance floor: "Let's get people on the dance floor, and then give 'em a song!" (Check out his great telling of this in the video below!) Well, I've been watching you stare at the floorThat guy's got two left feetI may be wrong but you must be boredYou look like someone who I'd like to meet Well, if things don't work out by the next songAnd you're looking for someone who can danceI'll be right over there by the jukeboxA quarter in my handTrying to buy myself a chance Saw my reflection in an empty glassSo I rehearsed my linesSaid I ain't looking for troubleWell, I know you came in here with him tonight Well, here goes nothing, I hope for somethingI'm walking out 'cross the floorI cross my fingers, I tap your shoulderAnd I say I've never done this before But if things don't work out by the next songAnd you're looking for someone who can danceI'll be right over there by the jukeboxA quarter in my handTrying to buy myself a chanceI'm trying to buy myself a chance Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/HkHhx71k84w Check out this great video that both interviews Randy Rogers about the song "Buy Myself a Chance," but also shows a live performance! back to top 12. We're Gonna Dance by Cody Jinks (2008) BPM74Can be danced withTwo Step, Cha Cha Cody Jinks is another great country singer from Texas, and We're Gonna Dance is a great song for this list. We're Gonna Dance is another romantic song about dancing and it is about taking all those great dancehall skills you have and then just staying at home with your significant other and having your own more intimate dancehall right at home! And I agree "socks move well on a hardwood floor!" I've been gone for way too longAnd I've been working way too hardAnd I know, it's taking its toll on youBut tonight I'll make things rightBy the fire with some candlelightAnd I'll tell youWhat we're gonna do We're not going outWe're gonna stay right here at homeThere won't be anyone in the worldWhen we're all alone We're gonnaLay the worries back and love until we're back on trackIf you'll just give me this chanceMove the couch, lock the door, socks move well on a hardwood floorAnd we're gonna danceWe're gonna dance Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/wfo2O4V_HEE A live performance from Cody Jinks of "We're Gonna Dance." back to top 13. Why Don't We Just Dance by Josh Turner (2010) BPM122Can be danced withTwo Step, Cha Cha, and many choreographed line dances This one seems perfect to follow We're Gonna Dance since it really is the same idea: dancing at home with your partner! The main difference is that Josh Turner's take on it is a little more upbeat and less serious. And, I think the music video really conveys that as the couple just have fun dancing together throughout their house in ever-changing clothes and styles of dance! Baby, why don't we just turn that TV off?Three hundred and fifteen channels of nothing but bad news on,Well it might be meBut the way I see it,The whole wide world has gone crazy.So baby, why don't we just dance? Just a little bitty living room ain't gonna look like much.But when the lights go down and we move the couch,It's gonna be more than enoughFor my two left feetAnd our two hearts beatin'Nobody's gonna see us go crazy.So baby, why don't we just dance Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/IH1Z9DEDqpk The official music video for Josh Turner's Why Don't We Just Dance? back to top 14. Footloose by Blake Shelton (2011) BPM174Can be danced withThe line dance Slappin' Leather While Footloose was originally by Kenny Loggins for the 1984 movie soundtrack, I'm listing it by Blake Shelton since that seems to be the version played today in your local country bar. And of course, when we hear it start up, we all line up to do Slappin' Leather! If you want to learn Slappin' Leather see my post on 20 Beginner Line Dances You Need to Know! I was interested in what the line dance was in the remake of the movie Footloose, so I put together a whole page diving deep into that. Check that out here: What Line Dance is in the Movie Footloose? (hint: It isn't Slappin' Leather!) Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/1mzpuUzLKx4 The official music video for Footloose by Blake Shelton. https://youtu.be/EFcnx6pNpI4 The 1984 Footloose ending scene features the original Kenny Loggins Footloose and amazing dancing from Kevin Bacon & cast! back to top 15. I Don't Dance by Lee Brice (2014) BPM92Can be danced withA Cha Cha or choreographed line dances & one circle partner mixer Back to another romantic song about dancing! As someone who likes to dance, I'm forever fighting this losing battle with friends who do not! I'm always trying to convince them of how great it is and if they are looking for a significant other, it isn't a bad place to hang out! This song's lyrics even suggest that who you meet where there is dancing might change your whole view about the activity! Love's never come my wayI've never been this far'Cause you took these two left feetAnd waltzed away with my heartNo, I don't dance, but here I am Spinnin' you 'round and 'round in circlesIt ain't my style, but I don't careI'd do anything with you anywhereYes, you got me in the palm of your hand girl 'Cause, I don't danceOooh. I don't dance. Oou oou oou oouI don't dance, but here I amSpinnin' you 'round and 'round in circles Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/fBEBbgQEJy4 Lee Brice's official video for I Don't Dance. back to top 16. Dance Her Home by Cody Johnson (2014) BPM114Can be danced withA Cha Cha, choreographed line dances including a progressive partner dance Let the romance and dance theme continue! I love this one by Cody Johnson and just how it talks about how the dance floor and a little two-steppin' could be the beginning of something very special–you just never know! Here she comes a walkin' in, cotton dress a swishin'Smoke is thick and the lights are dim and she sure got me wishin'For a little bit of time out on that ol' dance floorIf she gives me half a chance at romance I'm gonna dance her home Well hey bartender see that girl ask her what she's drinkin'Tell her if she looks this way I'll be the one a winkin''Cause I saw her light up when the DJ played a little George JonesIf she gives me half a chance at romance I'm gonna dance her home 'Cause if we got to two-steppin' we could come up missin'And find a corner booth of our ownJust a huggin' and a kissin' like two lovers reminiscin'Man this feelin's comin' on strongIf she gives me half a chance at romance I'm gonna dance her home Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/0svhE53ZG1M Check out this cool compilation video for Cody Johnson's Dance Her Home! back to top 17. Heartache on the Dance Floor by John Pardi (2016) BPM116Can be danced withA Cha Cha, Many choreographed line dances (Try Stephen Pistoia's version) I love this Jon Pardi song and think that the theme is something many of us who are single and go out dancing from time to time might be able to relate to. We dance with a lot of people, but sometimes there might be someone who we feel more of a spark with. But the night ends and they're gone! And we can't help but wonder if we might see them again! Like the love-sick fool that Jon Pardi plays in his music video, we keep looking, hoping to see them again in the future. Or maybe at least dream about it a little. She was a heartache on the dance floor(Heartache on the dance floor)Yeah, she's movin' through my mind(Movin' through my mind)I gotta know her name, and I got to see her again She's got me wonderin'Yeah, I'm just wonderin'Where she at, where she at, where she at tonight?Where she at, where she at, where she at tonight?Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, yeah Click Album Cover to purchase the song! Note: Stephen Pistoia's line dance for Heartache on the dance floor is a great dance and for sure one of my favorites see the video below of his demo and also a link to where you can see more about the dance on this site: 50 Popular Line Dances that Everyone Loves! https://youtu.be/Cg4Eui4sGlk Check out the great official music video for Jon Pardi's Heartache on the Dance Floor–was it all just a dream? https://youtu.be/prxh-HKLrQs Jon Pistoia's demo and teach of his line dance for Jon Pardi’s Heartache on the dance floor. back to top 18. Heartache Medication by John Pardi (2019) BPM95Can be danced withA Cha Cha, choreographed line dances In any collection of good country songs, there will be some heartbreaks and drinking going on. I think John Pardi's Heartache Medication is a great favorite and for country dancers who have also experienced heartbreak, it resonates even more. The country bar where there's a hardwood dance floor, a jukebox, neon, and some dancing can be a bitter-sweet place to try to get over our last love. If you watch the music video for the song he does some drinking but he also seems to be moving on pretty quickly to "another girl." But is she "trouble?" Who knows? What is funny to me is the very choreographed dancing that ensues! There's some country swing and then some line dancing of some sort! Check it out! Another girl, another dance to a country songTurnin' me on, here's to a good timeAnd halfway to feelin' alright And here I go again, I'm drinkin' one, I'm drinkin' twoI got my heartache medication, a strong dedicationTo gettin' over you, turnin' me looseOn that hardwood jukebox lost in neon timeMy heartache medication, well it suits me fineAnd I'm drinkin' enough to take you off my mindI got my heartache medication Single, drinkin' doublesTeardrops turnin' into bubblesYeah, a little later onI'll probably find me some trouble Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/NQFhnvJ9tsk Check out the great official music video for Jon Pardi's Heartache Medication–dancing included! back to top 19. Every Little Honky Tonk Bar by George Strait (2019) BPM122Can be danced withMany choreographed line dances including a circle partner dance Well, so far the list has only included one George Strait song with #6's I Just Wanna Dance with You. So, thank goodness for George Strait's fairly recent great album Honky-Tonk Time Machine! I love this album and it gives us two great new country songs from the King about honky-tonks and dancing! Every Little Honky Tonk Bar is a great tribute to the Honky Tonk! The lyrics are perfect, both creative and perfectly descriptive of what it is that goes on in every honky tonk. There are burnt bridges, broken hearts, lonesome eyes, and full dance floors. This is for sure an accurate description! It's a place where people go to escape their troubles a little. Whiskey is the gasoline that lights the fire that burns the bridgeIce creates the water that's no longer runnin' under itStool holds the fool that pours the whiskey on his broken heartCigarettes create the smoke that hides the lonesome in his eyesThe jukebox plays Hank, "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"Dance floor holds the folks trying to forget who they areAnd that's what happens in every little honky tonk bar Friday night, it's a givenI'll be L-I-V-N, livin'We'll dance on the bar 'til we're sleeping it off in the carMonday morning, it's a givenI'll be D-R-A-G-N, draggin'And that's what happens in every little honky tonk bar Click Album Cover to purchase the song! By the way, if you are as fascinated as I am with honky-tonks, check out my article that really looks at what a honky-tonk is–its history and more! Check it out here! https://youtu.be/pYw3pI5f8TQ George Strait's official lyric video for Every Little Honky Tonk Bar. https://youtu.be/b63Ji8dW_Zs George Strait performed live, singing Every Little Honky Tonk Bar in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile arena. back to top 20. Honky Tonk Time Machine by George Strait (2019) BPM82Can be danced withCountry Swing and many choreographed line dances try Dan Albro's version. The second song about honky-tonks and dancing on George Strait's 2019 album really just continues describing the honky tonk atmosphere! It unfolds a great story of a retired DJ coming out on occasion and picking out the oldies on the jukebox, and "spinnin' 'em back to the good old days." What a great picture that paints. And I love how the crowd doesn't mind but fills up the dance floor–"all cowboy hats, boots, and jeans–ridin' that honky tonk time machine." Well he comes in here on the first and fifteenthPockets just jinglin' like a tambourineMakes a beeline over to that old jukeboxFills it up to the top and needle drops And it's off like a rocket in a neon hazeSpinnin' 'em back to the good old daysBeer gets to flowin' and the whiskey poursThere ain't an empty spot on the old dance floorAll cowboy hats, boots, and jeansRidin' that honky tonk time machine Click Album Cover to purchase the song! And speaking of honky-tonks and what they are like...I've got a great article that really looks at what a honky-tonk is and what makes it special. Check it out here! https://youtu.be/DHd4pot7DRA George Strait's official audio for Honky Tonk Time Machine. back to top 21. Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floors by Cody Johnson (2021) BPM135Can be danced withCountry Swing and many choreographed line dances Next is another great country song that really celebrates the honky tonk and the thrill of going out to enjoy a great night at one. I sort of picture Cody Johnson being at nothing less than Billy Bob's as I listen to the lyrics–maybe the biggest honky-tonk on the planet. I love the picture the song paints of the wall to wall western wear, shinny neon, fiddles playing and cowgirls swingin'! And I think I experience that second wind sometimes...I may not feel like going out, but when I walk in and see the dancers and hear the music, I'm in! Every single night under a big ol' Texas skyParking lot looks like a field growin' pickup trucksThe people come from miles around just to get a little unwoundI want to drink a little, dance a little, line them lone stars up Them neon lights shinin' bright as diamondsBoots and hats and pearl snaps wall to wallThe fiddle singin' and cowgirls swingin'Keep me comin' through them doorsFor long neck bottles and honky tonk hardwood floors Soon as I walk in, it's like I get my second windI wanna keep that good time feeling rockin' all night longI can't seem to get enough y'all, it's gotta be in my blood'Cause the louder that crowd gets, the more I feel at home Click Album Cover to purchase the song! And speaking of Billy Bob's, check out my article on the great honky-tonks to visit in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas here! There are some interesting things to know about Billy Bob's and the other 11 venues covered! https://youtu.be/Ajv-_-Lc-Xk Official audio for Cody Johnson's song Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floors. back to top 22. Two to Two Step by Midland (2021) BPM118Can be danced withCountry Swing and many choreographed line dances Two to Two Step is a cute song about a guy calling his girl out onto the dance foor–to stop just watching the dance floor, but get out there and Two Step. Two to tango, two to wango down that hardwood, don't you think it'd do your heart good? I actually don't feel like the song works great for Two Step, but it could work. I wish they would have shown some dancing in the video! Maby that's why they didn't! But a great Midland music video where there is some Two Stepping happening is their video for Burn Out–I've included it on my page about Billy Bob's honky-tonk here. You been tappin' your fingers, while your stare at your phoneI bet you didn't slide those tight jeans on for nothin'Oh, and I didn't come here to drink aloneYou've been watching that dancefloor all night longCome on, let's get into something It's takes two to two stepTwo to tangoTwo to wango down that hardwoodDon't ya' think it'd do your heart good?Just me and you doin' the new stepGetting the boots wetDancing in denim and diamonds and rockin' itSteady, you ready to lose your blues, yet?It's takes two to two step We could be swayin' our hips, keepin' our own timeMakin' up words that don't even rhyme, just livingFor the moment 'til the night is goneYou can do the leading, even if you're only leading me onCome on, here comes the perfect song It's takes two to two step Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/nFq4M_x_gpg The official music video for Midland's song Two To Two Step. back to top 23. Heaven’s Jukebox by Jaden Hamilton (2021) BPM118Can be danced withMany choreographed line dances but try José Miguel & Willie Brown's The next one is really fun but a little obscure. Have you heard of it? I probably would not have heard of it if I hadn't been in Vegas last year for the Vegas Dance Explosion. There was a new line dance being taught by José Miguel Belloque Vane of the Netherlands–by the same name: Heaven's Jukebox! I think there are a few country songs out there that dream of what heaven will be like and if there will be some of the things cowboys enjoy of their Western lifestyle. This song does that in a great way, with the thought: "If Heaven's got a jukebox..." and going on from there to wish for country songs, a dance floor where we can Two Step, and enjoy good times for all eternity. What a great song! And José & Willie's line dance is great too! Check it out and give it a whirl! Well, I don't know what happens when we goBut I hear that the streets are paved in goldAnd maybe there's a little red dirt for my soulAnd maybe, just maybe the beer's still cold If Heaven's got a JukeboxI hope it's filled up with country songsI hope it's got a dance floorSo we can two-step to 'em all night longI'll keep 'em rollin' and rockin'So them good times ain't stopping for all of eternityIf Heaven's got a JukeboxLord knows that's where I'll be Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/nbuec74Yg_A Check out this creative music video–sort of a different approach to shooting one! https://youtu.be/vOKN5mF9rI0 Here's a demo of this great line dance with José leading the way. back to top 24. Boots by Aaron Watson (2021) BPM80Can be danced withCha Cha dances or 2 choreographed line dances Boots by Aaron Watson is another great romantic country song about dancing. I love this country-western take on that "walking on air" "cloud 9" feeling. Just like that neon sign, I'm buzzingJust like that full moon, I'm so highNo, it's not what you think, it's not from the drinkIt's not from something I'm smokingMakes me feel like I can fly When you're in these arms of mineI'm up on cloud nineOn the dance floor floating aroundAnd I can't keep my boots on the groundI never want this night to endYou got me three sheets to the windLike a record we're spinning aroundAnd I can't keep my boots on the ground Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/ezDcU7EqxeY Aaron Watson's official music video for Boots. back to top 25. You In a Honky Tonk by Randall King (2023) BPM104Can be danced withCha Cha dances Randall King's songs really remind me of George Strait! Maybe he's the next "King!" He has the right name at least! I love this song about a girl and how her wearing a honky-tonk, (so, her being at the honky-tonk) is what excites him most. To me that is a great take on the honky-tonk life, yes he loves his lady in anything she puts on, but when she's at the honky-tonk, that's when she really steals his breath away. This cracks me up, cause, why? Maybe because that's when the two things he loves the most come together. Cotton flannel on a front porch swingLeather jacket and some tight blue jeansDon't get me started on the things I thinkWhen you're wearing nothing but them soft white sheets, yeah Listen, baby, you can put on anythingWhat drives me crazy Is seeing you in a honky-tonkThe way you're slipping that neon onGirl, there ain't a look you can't pull offBut nothing turns me onLike you in a honky-tonk Smoke rings, glowing greens, and redsThey hug your body like a long black dressIt's tailor-made for your silhouetteOoh, nothing steals my breath Like seeing you in a honky-tonk Click Album Cover to purchase the song! https://youtu.be/7RxbkNvClZA Randall King's official music video for "You In a Honky Tonk." back to top All songs by BPM Song Artist Year BPM We’re Gonna Dance Cody Jinks 2008 74 Boots Aaron Watson 2021 80 Honky Tonk Time Machine George Strait 2019 82 I Don’t Dance Lee Brice 2014 92 Heartache Medication John Pardi 2019 95 You Look Good in a Honky Tonk Randall King 2023 104 Slow Country Dance Mary Chapin Carpenter 1989 109 Buy Myself a Chance Randy Rogers 2008 110 I Just Wanna Dance With You George Strait 1998 114 Dance Her Home Cody Johnson 2014 114 I Love This Bar Toby Keith 2003 115 Heartache on the Dance Floor John Pardi 2016 116 Heaven’s Jukebox Jaden Hamilton 2021 116 Two to Two Step Midland 2021 118 Why Don’t We Just Dance Josh Turner 2010 122 Every Little Honky Tonk Bar George Strait 2019 122 Boot Scootin’ Boogie Brooks and Dunn 1991 130 Take me out to a Dancehall Pat Green 1999 132 The Dance Garth Brooks 1989 134 Life’s a Dance John Michael Montgomery 1992 135 Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floors Cody Johnson 2021 135 We Danced Brad Paisley 1999 146 I Hope You Dance Lee Ann Womack 2000 151 Footloose Blake Shelton 2011 174 Down at the Twist & Shout Mary Chapin Carpenter 1990 192 back to top