"A Country Boy Can Survive" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

 artist Hank Williams, Jr.

Hank Williams, Jr.

Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...

 The song was released as a single in January 1982 and reached a peak of #2 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts in March 1982. It is considered one of Williams' signature song

Signature song

A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...

s even though it never reached number one.

Shortly after 9/11, Williams re-wrote and re-recorded the song with a patriotic theme under the name "America Will Survive"; the rewrite peaked at #45 on the Billboard country charts.

In early 2007, Williams re-released the original version to commend the 25th anniversary of its original release, in addition to creating a music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 for it. This re-release peaked at #45 on the Billboard country charts.

The song has also gained popularity as the fight entrance song for former UFC champion Matt Hughes

Matt Hughes (fighter)

Matthew Allen Hughes is an American mixed martial artist, UFC Hall of Famer, and former two-time UFC Welterweight Champion. Hughes put together two separate six-fight winning streaks in the UFC, won the welterweight title on two occasions, defended the belt a record seven times, and holds the...

.

Content

The song exalts and lists many things that detail the everyday life of country folk.

The notable second verse mentions the narrator's relationship with a New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 businessman; despite their differing backgrounds the two become good friends and exchange gifts ("he'd send me pictures of the Broadway

Broadway theatre

Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...

 lights/And I'd send him some homemade wine"). However, the businessman is "killed by a man with a switchblade

Switchblade

A switchblade is a type of knife with a folding or sliding blade contained in the handle which is opened automatically by a spring when a button, lever, or switch on the handle or bolster is activated A switchblade (also known as an automatic knife, pushbutton knife, switch, Sprenger, Springer,...

 knife/for $43 my friend lost his life"; Williams replies that he would like to personally kill the mugger himself. (The "America Will Survive" remix has the businessman being a victim of the 9/11 attacks.)

Original version

Chart (1982)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	2
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	2

2001 re-release as "America Will Survive"

Chart (2001)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	45

2007 re-release for 25th Anniversary

Chart (2007)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	45

Chad Brock version (Y2K version)

In late 1999, Chad Brock

Chad Brock

Chad Brock is an American country music artist and disc jockey. Before beginning his musical career in the late 1990s, he was a professional wrestler in World Championship Wrestling , until an injury forced him to retire....

 and George Jones

George Jones

George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....

 collaborated with Williams to record a re-written version of the song with a Y2K theme, with lines such as "If the bank machines

Automated teller machine

An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...

 crash, we'll be just fine." This version peaked at #30 on the Billboard country charts, and #75 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

.

Chart positions

Chart (1999)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	30
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	75
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	66