Blake Shelton has built a career on his big personality, chart-topping hits, and charming wit, but there’s one thing he’s not laughing about anymore—a tattoo he got nearly two decades ago. In a candid interview with CMT, shared on January 23, 2025, Shelton opened up about the tattoo on his left forearm that he now calls “one of the worst mistakes” of his life.

A Drunken Decision That Went Wrong

Shelton’s tattoo saga began around 2005, when the then 20-something country star decided to embrace his “inner bad boy” and get some ink. The idea was to honor his country roots with a design featuring deer tracks wrapped in barbed wire. But as Shelton later admitted in a 2013 interview with Oprah’s Next Chapter, the execution didn’t quite go as planned.

“I had been drinking on this occasion,” Shelton confessed. “Neither I nor the tattoo artist knew how to draw deer tracks, so I sketched what I thought they looked like, and the artist copied it exactly onto my arm.” What followed was a design that, as Shelton humorously described, ended up resembling “Sugar Smacks or coffee beans” rather than the intended deer tracks.

In an attempt to salvage the botched design, Shelton had barbed wire added to his forearm, but it didn’t quite fix the problem. “I probably have the crappiest tattoo—not only in country music—but maybe the world,” he joked, adding to the growing legend of his regrettable ink.

Regret and Redemption

Shelton’s regret over the tattoo was instant. In the recent CMT interview, he reflected, “They say that tattoos are addictive. I got this tattoo about 20 years ago and decided it was, in the moment, one of the worst mistakes of my life, and I’m never doing that again. I stuck to that.” Despite the laughter and jokes over the years, Shelton has sworn off any future tattoos.

Though he’s comfortable laughing at the design now—often showing it off during performances—he’s steadfast about never getting another tattoo. The experience was so off-putting that it cured him of any desire for more ink, and his story serves as a cautionary tale for anyone considering impulsive, alcohol-fueled tattoo decisions.

A Universal Lesson in Impulsive Decisions

Shelton’s tattoo regrets are not unique in the celebrity world. Country star Jelly Roll, for example, shared with GQ in March 2024 that he regrets “98 percent” of his tattoos, which he started getting at age 17, due to how his “core philosophies” evolved by age 40. While Jelly Roll’s ink collection is extensive, Shelton’s single, badly executed tattoo was enough to convince him to stay away from the needle for good. His story serves as a reminder that tattoos, while they can be meaningful art, are also permanent decisions that may not age as well as you expect.

The tattoo hasn’t done any damage to Shelton’s career, however. From his time as a coach on The Voice to his upcoming 2025 Friends & Heroes Tour, which will kick off in February in Lexington, Kentucky, with fellow stars Craig Morgan and Trace Adkins, Shelton remains a fan favorite. His infamous tattoo has even become a quirky part of his charm, with Gwen Stefani’s kids playfully sporting fake matching tattoos in a 2017 Twitter post.

Moving Forward with Humor

Shelton’s ability to laugh at himself and his tattoo regret is one of the reasons fans continue to adore him. In an interview with People in November 2024, Shelton discussed his focus on mindfulness since stepping back from The Voice, emphasizing the importance of making thoughtful choices rather than being stuck in a “hamster wheel” of impulsive decisions. His tattoo may be permanent, but it also serves as a reminder to think twice before making decisions—something he’s applied to both his personal life and career.

For fans, Shelton’s story is both relatable and insightful. Tattoos can be beautiful works of art, but they’re also lifelong commitments. Shelton’s experience is a reminder that a little sobriety, patience, and planning can save you from a design you’ll be joking about for decades. So, the next time you’re tempted to get inked, consider channeling Blake Shelton’s wisdom: maybe skip the drunken sketching and think it through a little more carefully.