Cody Johnson Shares Story Behind His Booze-Fueled Tattoo In An Unlikely Place

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Cody Johnson sports an array of tattoos, with one in a rather unconventional location you likely haven’t glimpsed before—on the sole of his foot.

Cody Johnson made an appearance on the Country Heat Weekly podcast to discuss his latest album, Leather, highlighting an exciting collaboration with Jelly Roll on the track titled “Whiskey Bent.”

Country Vibes & Spur-Of-The-Moment Decisions

During the conversation on the podcast, co-host Kelly Sutton asked about their extensive tattoo collections, given that both CoJo and Jelly are heavily inked. Johnson humorously responded that he couldn’t be certain about the tattoo count since he hadn’t seen Jelly without a shirt. However, he did share some details about his own tattoos, mentioning a full sleeve, a sizable cross on his back, and even one on the sole of his foot.

“I go all the way up. I’ve got one on my back. I’ve got two on my chest. I even did the bottom of my foot,” the country star started to explain.

Naturally, the co-hosts were shocked and curious for more details, and Johnson humorously attributed his decision to get the bottom of his foot tattooed to the undeniable influence of alcohol.

When asked how in the world he did that, the singer simply replied with an easy, one-word answer: alcohol.

“You wanted an honest answer. My tattoo artist, Buffalo Jake, you can look him up on Instagram, he was out on the road with me. All of my tattoos pretty much have been done on my bus. We were talking about, when I worked for the prison, I saw some really crazy tattoos like body parts that you’re like, ‘How? Just how? I don’t even know how.’ And he was telling me ‘Yeah, I’ve got the top of my head done. I’ve done the inside of somebody’s lip. And I’ve done somebody’s butt.’

And I was like, ‘What is one thing you’ve never tattooed?’ And he was like, ‘The bottom of a foot.’ And I was like, ‘Well, tonight after the show, we’re doin’ it.’ It actually kinda tickled. That man is the only man who’s ever touched my foot. I don’t let people touch my feet.”

Turns out, there is actually an interesting story behind the impulsive tattoo. As it happens, the inspiration for the tattoo comes from the classic Waylon Jennings song, “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” particularly the line that goes, “I’ve always been different, with one foot over the line.”

“Okay, so my favorite Waylon Jennings song is ‘I’ve Always Been Crazy,’ and in the second verse, it says ‘I’ve always been different, with one foot over the line.’ Well if you were a carpenter, you would say ‘One foot over a line,” and that’s what it is on the bottom. So it’s not really elaborate but definitely, it’s in there. It’s in the arch.”

Continuing, Johnson revealed, “I forget it’s there. It’s like I’ll be getting out of the shower and I’m drying off and I’m like ‘Whoah! What is….oh yeah. I remember that now.”

Listen to the song that inspired the crazy foot ink!

New CoJo Music Coming Our Way

While his highly anticipated album Leather has had tremendous success since its release, he has even more new music up his sleeve. A deluxe version of Leather will be released sometime next year (2024). Johnson says the deluxe project will feature even more exciting collaborations!

From getting tats on the tour bus to picking spots no one expected (hello, bottom of the foot!), this country star sure knows how to keep it interesting. It’s like a rebel note in a country song, a reminder that life on the road is one heck of a journey, marked by more than just miles. Watch Cody on the Country Heat Weekly podcast below!