13 Best Tattoos In Country Music

Because awesome ink isn't just for rappers and rock stars anymore...

1. Keith Urban

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Keith is all love when it comes to his tattoos. He has a "Nicole" tattoo with hearts on his right bicep and a Celtic symbol with the initials, "NMK," on his right wrist (pictured above) in honor of his wife, fellow Aussie Nicole Kidman.

He also has a surprising amount of bird-related tattoos: a circular phoenix on his chest that occasionally peeks out from his low-buttoned shirts, a Native American thunderbird (pictured above) on his left forearm, and an eagle on his right shoulder blade to represent America, which he got shortly after moving to the States.

2. Miranda Lambert

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Even though her father isn't a fan of tattoos, Miranda has a double six shooter with wings on her forearm (pictured above) which has become her sweet yet sassy logo.

But our favorite tattoo is the tiny MuttNation logo she had inked on her foot, in honor of her foundation that helps animal charities across the country.

3. Blake Shelton

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Blake hates his tattoo. He's even gone on the record to call it "the crappiest tattoo -- not only in country music -- but maybe the world."

An avid hunter, Blake had the deer tracks inked after a particularly wild night. When his friends told him that the hoof prints looked like ladybugs, he went back and added the barbed wire. No word on how wife Miranda Lambert feels about this ill-conceived ink.

4. Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts)

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What's remarkable about this tattoo is how much it stands out amongst his non-inked band members. The eagle tattoo on Joe's left forearm is the only known ink in the group, but then again, Rascal Flatts isn't exactly known for performing in sleeveless shirts.

5. Brantley Gilbert

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We’ve officially given up keeping track of Brantley's tattoos.

The cross outline on his left bicep and his forearm piece (showcasing his initials and album title) morphed into a full color sleeve, courtesy of NY Ink, and depicts heaven and hell in remembrance of the crazy car accident Brantley survived. He also has tattoos on his rib cage and between his shoulder blades. Quite befitting the bad-boy of country rock.

6. Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum)

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Charles pays homage to The Fab Four with his two Beatle-centric tattoos. He has lyrics to "Blackbird" on his right forearm and the flower of life on his left bicep, which refers to his mantra from another Beatles' song, "Across the Universe." But despite its deeper meaning, Charles has also admitted that he just thought it looked cool. Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

7. Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum)

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No, Hillary was not 14 years old when she got the "14" inked on her right wrist, but that was the age at which she realized music was her calling. The number also signifies the age gap between her and her older sister, with whom she remains very close.

Hillary also has a musical treble clef inked on her right foot, but that one is self-explanatory...

8. Zac Brown

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Zac Brown has multiple tattoos, but our favorite is the one pictured above. In addition to inking the name of his band’s platinum-selling album, You Get What You Give, onto his left arm, he also has the letters “S-J-L-G," which are the first initials of his wife and three of his four kids (Shelly, Justice, Lucy and Georgia, respectively). Since then, a fourth daughter named Joni was born, but it looks like Zac has run out of space on his arm for an additional “J."

Fun fact: Zac owns a tattoo parlor in Senoia, Georgia named Southern Ground Social Club, which also includes a restaurant, art gallery, knife shop, and leather shop.

9. Jason Aldean & Luke Bryan

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Yes, Luke is making a duck face. Yes, those are matching tattoos. Both avid deer hunters, Jason and Luke accepted a dare from pre-Duck Dynasty Willie Robertson during a Buck Commander gathering, a.k.a. the deer off-shoot of the now famous duck hunting company.

Check out what happens when you get a bunch of macho, camo-paint-covered guys together in the woods.

10. Jake Owen

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He probably wouldn't want to hear this, but one of Jake's four tattoos is just plain adorable. The lip print on his inner right bicep is an exact copy of his wife Lacey's lips, whom he met while filming his video "Eight Second Ride." “She has the most amazing lips, and I wanted to carry them around with me everywhere I go," Jake explained. Check out the song's music video to see if he's telling the truth.

Jake also has tattoos of Waylon Jennings' logo on his left arm, "Pearl” written on his left wrist (to honor his godmother, but it's also his daughter’s name), and a circle with three stars in it on his right forearm.

11. Tim McGraw

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Four of Tim's five tattoos were done in tribute to people close to him. The other was a drunken mistake during his younger years, so obviously it's our favorite.

The way Tim tells it: “It was 3AM in New Orleans, and I was about 22 and drunk. It’s not hard to connect the dots!” And that's why Tim has a leprechaun wearing a cowboy hat permanently etched into his thigh. (Unfortunately, no photographic evidence could be found.)

As a result, his most famous tattoo is an ichthys, or “Jesus fish” inside his right arm. Tim also has DHD (for Dancehall Doctors) inked on his ankle and a cross with the initials of his daughters and wife, Faith Hill, on his left bicep.

12. Kellie Pickler

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Kellie is a smart girl. Since she knew her grandmother would freak out about her getting a tattoo, she made sure that her first one was of her grandmother's name (located on her foot).

Our favorite is the three stars on her left arm which represent her three USO tours, performing for the troops. Initially, her plan was to get a new star for each tour, but now she's considering just turning it into an American flag. She also has "Pray" inked on her right wrist.

13. Taylor Swift

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While Taylor technically doesn't have any tattoos (that we know of), she does have a pre-performance ritual of writing song lyrics down her arm and drawing lucky number "13" on her hand. She has also dated a slew of tatted-up men, including John Mayer and Harry Styles, so despite her vehement protests, it's only a matter of time before she gets some ink of her own.