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On a warm night in June, 1949, with his first number one record spilling out of radios across the country, a frail young man walked onto the stage of Nashville's Ryman Auditorium for his Grand Ole Opry debut. Behind him lay nearly a decade of struggle and rejection in pursuit of this goal; ahead, a little more than five years in the limelight. By 1953, literally worn out at twenty-nine, Hank Williams was gone. But he had given country music much of its standard repertoire, a new definition of stardom and a legend so enduring that he is still the model for countless singers and songwriters. Born in Mount Olive West, Alabama (near Georgiana) on September 17th, 1923, Hiriam was the second child of Lon and Lillie Williams. Lon, a WWI veteran, was hospitalized du More... (Submit New Hank Williams Lyrics) (Submit New Hank Williams Lyrics) Review about Hank Williams Genius | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song YOUR CHEATIN' HEART performed by Hank Williams Is always a tortured mind. I'm 18, and have my dad to thank for exposing me to Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers, I'm glad that even though most people my age have no idea who they are, at least I do. Much love and respect. Only ONE Hank!! | Reviewer: Theolinda ------ About the song ALONE AND FORSAKEN performed by Hank Williams I love the song and melody of Alone and Forsaken but there is NO ONE that can sing it like Hank Williams. His voice lulled me to sleep many a night when I was a young girl.Hank never sang a song that I didn't like. wisdom and ignorance | Reviewer: Cleftonefan ------ About the song THE FUNERAL performed by Hank Williams I don't think you can analyze Hank's reference to "ignorance" by itself. First he mentions the wisdom, which is the most important word. The ignorance simply refers to the lack of formal education. Slaveowners did not want their slaves to be able to read or write, and laws making it illegal to teach them had been around since 1740. Hank was no racist. Grabbed Me | Reviewer: Rose DeShaw ------ About the song LOST HIGHWAY performed by Hank Williams Had never heard this song before last night. Listening to Country Classics on a bright Novemeber night up here in Canada and it really grabbed me. This is a haunting song that sticks in your head. Johnny Horton sang the version I heard. Then I went online and heard Williams. I am definitely going to look up Leon Payne. (Interesting last name for a blind man, eh? Reminds of the Coen Bros movie, 'Oh Brother,'). I have been working on 2 or 3 songs a week, then take them to the pool where I swim mornings and sing them in the sauna. This definitely is one to sing, along with Patty Page's Cross Over The Bridge which goes along. I'm going to see if she ever sang it. Bridges, Detours and Lost Highways - all the stuff of the journey of our lives & we can only be thankful to men like Payne & Williams for taking such a remorseful look. My thanks. Rose There is always one! About Loe Garou's comments | Reviewer: M. Jackson ------ About the song THE FUNERAL performed by Hank Williams I've treasured this song from my youth. I've never seen it as a put down to African Americans! It's so beautiful, so touching. The word "grotesque" also means "incongruous" which means "out of place". The preacher was preparing to admonish the parents for their morning instead of their being glad that their child was in Heaven. His countenance was stern in other words instead of somber as would be expected by the family. It wasen't ugly it was just different, or out of place, from everyone elses in the church. As for the comment about the funeral being on a plantation,that's wrong. The line is actually calling Heaven a plantation, and to a slave what could be more Heavenly than to live on God's plantation? The "big plantation" as in the Original Americans calling Heaven "the Happy Hunting Ground". The song also does not call the preacher ignorant! It say's the "wisdom and ignorance" which we all have. I am very smart about some things and totally ignorant about others. Are you not? He also says they are a "crushed and undying race", that is a compliment to their strength in bearing the cross of slavery. I see these people as very dignified. But there is one in every crowd. You can search until you find racism in anything! Better to put your time to spreading the love of God. My Favourite Luke the Drifter | Reviewer: Terri from Canada ------ About the song HELP ME UNDERSTAND performed by Hank Williams This is my favourite Luke the Drifter song. Beyond the Sunset is a close second. How I wish there were musicians still like Hank around. Besides the fact that he was an incredible singer, he was a man who not afraid to reveal his heart in his music and not worry about what people thought. He captured what lives in the hearts of most people, whether they want to admit it to themselves or not. Hank is my personal hero. The Two Faced Preacher | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the song TWO FACED PREACHER performed by Hank Williams Ithink that the 22 preachers that brought up the petion against the song are also men of the cloth that Hank was writing about,and if they belive that not allowing Hank to sing the song any more will hide their dirt,then they are so wrong,as they can't hide from God Almighty as He sees and hears everything and there will be a judgement day for them as well as the rest of us and we can't play church to get there nor work our way there, But by the blood of Jesus and being cleansed by the blood and believing in his name is our only ticket to Heaven.I just wish that Hank was still here for me to thank him for writing the song,but I can still give God the praise for giving Hank the words to write and the boldness to sing it,We all need to get some of that holy boldness in our lives too,Thank you for listening.May God Bless, Nancy L.Sparks Memorial? | Reviewer: anonymous ------ About the song I'M SO LONESOME I COULD CRY performed by Hank Williams The 2nd anniversary of my brother's death is approaching. He was my only brother, and we were so close. This song captures how I feel? Can I get opinions on whether this song would be an appropriate memorial? Does it focus on my despair too much as opposed to focusing on my brother? Thanks for your help. beautiful | Reviewer: raynemayna ------ About the song THE FUNERAL performed by Hank Williams To Lou Garou, You can't look at it as being racist even with the "product of the times" excuse. If you think back to the times, the song was incredibly politically correct. Using "colored" instead of the N word was a very progressive way of thinking at the time. Same with "Ethiopian". I think they were trying to say African American before anyone said African American. I'm not sure about the "simplicity and shrewdness" line but as for the "wisdom and ignorance" line; he's not calling the preacher ignorant, he's speaking to the wisdom and ignorance that comes with a loved ones passing. You learn so much from a death like that but don't understand what it means or how it could happen either. As for the "plantation", hardly racist. If you're a southerner (like me), you know that a lot of people consider Heaven to be a version of an old farm plantation. Not slaves. Just a nice piece of land, with a nice little house, and a nice row of shade trees to escape the summer heat. All in all, don't look at it as a racist "product of the times", look at it as progressive, in spite of the times. This song triggers memories of my late brother who loved Hank's music. Carol | Reviewer: Carol Crocker ------ About the song Men With Broken Hearts performed by Hank Williams I just watched the movie on Bravo and this last song really cut through to the deep place that holds my brother within me. He died in 1999. I remember him playing those 78's on his top of the line phonograph back then. I remember my brother experiencing some pretty emotional upheavals and always turned to music to help. I used to think that listening to this type of music would make you feel worse but he always said that instilled a quietness in him. Now, I know what he meant. I appreciate the words of this song because it does remind us that men as well as women have emotions and that we can help each other experience them instead of squashing them where they can cause further heartache. Lovely men were Hank and my beautiful brother. A tribute to all of the men with broken hearts. Safe mending! Um?.... racist? | Reviewer: Lou Garou ------ About the song THE FUNERAL performed by Hank Williams I'm sitting here listening to Hank Williams' version of this song. I understand the emotional intent of the story, but man oh man I'm just shocked at the content of these lyrics. Ok so the dead child has "protruding lips." Fine, maybe that's just a literal observation. But a few lines later we hear that the "ignorant" preacher has a "grotesque" "Ethiopian face." Then we're treated to the sweet metaphoric image of this funeral happening as a picnic with angels on a "plantation." Holy smokes! I've always enjoyed Hank Williams. He's got a great voice, great taste in melodies, a wise air about him, and his lyrics normally stand up for the underdog. But this song is just stopping me in my tracks a bit. I've never really considered that he could be a racist. At the very least this song is like those old racist cartoons by Warner Brothers -- high-quality creative products produced by artists who are presumably liberal minded but who create works that are clearly expressing racist ideas. The common defense is to say they're a "product of their times." I'm not saying Hank Williams was a racist, but this is just a bit like hearing your nice old librarian swearing her head off. Factual errors in California Zephyr lyrics | Reviewer: Long John ------ About the song CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR performed by Hank Williams This actually IS a great song, albeit with some rather glaring errors in the song... The California Zephyr train was NEVER on the Union Pacific... It was on the Western Pacific, D& RG, & Burlington.. And it ran from Oakland to Chicago, and it was NEVER in LA or Santa Fe...The Western Pacific RR took it from Oakland to Salt Lake City, D&RG took it to Denver, and the Burlington took it to Chicago... And lastly, the Zephyr NEVER made the sound of a "Lonesome Whistle Scream", but rather th esound of air horns mounted on one of several EMD-F series diesel locomotives... I think what might have happened is the in the songwriters mind, ANY and ALL Dome Cars were considered to be a California Zephyr train, which simply is not the case, and while the general public might not notice the factual errors in this great song, anybody familier with the actual California Zephyr knows better... Song Tramp on the Street | Reviewer: Melanie ------ About the song THE TRAMP ON THE STREET performed by Hank Williams Wow!!! My mom sang this song to me and my brothers and sisters while were babies too. I in turn sang it to my children when they were born and through the years when they needed soothing. My oldest son who is now 30 asks me every once in a while to sing it to him when things aren't going right for him and he needs soothing. When he was in Korea and Kyrgistan in the Military he would call and ask me to sing it to him. My sisters and I found the a hymnal with the song in it about 15 years ago and sang it at my moms church for her birthday. Talk about lots of tears flowing. I don't know that it is the words as much as it is the soothing tune. But this song has become very important to my family. I had no idea that Hank Williams had cut it, I only ever heard my mom sing it to me. The Tramp On The Street | Reviewer: Shelia Smith ------ About the song THE TRAMP ON THE STREET performed by Hank Williams My mother use to sing this song to me when I was a little girl. All though I have never heard the song other then her singing it. I have never forgotten it. I would love to find a copy of this song. If anyone knows where I could buy a copy I would love to have it. I have been told she was singing this song to me right ofter I was born. I would love to have it on tape so it could be played at my funeral. What a way to go out of this world to the same song I came into it. The Show He Never Gave | Reviewer: Anne ------ About the song Men With Broken Hearts performed by Hank Williams There is a movie (and a play) called Hank Williams:The Show He Never Gave, in which a man called Sneezy Waters plays the role of Hank. In the movie, time switches back and forth between the back seat of the car Hank died in on his way to a New Year's Eve show, and that imaginary show. Featured at the end of the show, Hank sings Men With Broken Hearts. Along with I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, my personal favorite Hank Williams' song, this other song I never heard before brought big tears rolling down my cheeks. This brilliant performer and songwriter from the mid 20th century will never be forgotten. He suffered enough in this world to send him straight to the next and better one. THE GREASTEST MUSICIAN | Reviewer: Anonymous ------ About the album Luke The Drifter performed by Hank Williams Hank, in my opinion was ( and is ) the greatest singer, songwriter and musician that ever lived. At the young age of 29 and being in the business a few short years could never be surpassed in a lifetime by another country music artist Hank Williams Songs | Reviewer: James Ray ------ About artist/band Hank Williams I live in Louisville Ky , Hank Williams wrote many good songs, He was a great song writer, But He did not write " The Death of Little Kathy Fiscus" It was wrote by a local recording artist Jimmie Osborne from Louisville Ky. He recording for King records, It was his most and bigest record, He wrote a lot of other songs,He was on a local show here in Louisville Ky . for Bob Rine Auto show for years. Radeo Show live from his Used car lot which just closed last year after over 50 yrs. Bad girl from down the street | Reviewer: Danny ------ About the song 'NEATH A COLD GRAY TOMB OF STONE performed by Hank Williams I have been trying to get hold of this old song for I don,t know how many years. Can you please help me. It was on an old 78 LP record and had several other old sad songs with it..I first heard it around it 1953/4 Thanking you, Danny Hank really nailed it with this one | Reviewer: Terry Jones ------ About the song I SAW THE LIGHT performed by Hank Williams Simply put, I Saw the Light is one of the best, most enduring songs ever written. Simple, up-beat, and memorable, who hasn't found themselves singing it at one time or another? Possibly the best part is that if you cover it with a band you'll have every single person in the audience singing along with you! Hank really nailed it with this one. About Leon Payne, the author of "Lost Highway" | Reviewer: Samm Bennett ------ About the song LOST HIGHWAY performed by Hank Williams Many, many people think that Hank Williams wrote the song, since his wonderful version is THE definitive version. But it was written by blind country singer and songwriter Leon Payne, of Texas. Payne also wrote "I Love You Because", which was an early ballad hit for Elvis Presley. Leon Payne: look him up! You could review the artist/band Hank Williams in Biography page You could review Hank Williams album by visiting Albums page and selecting an album You could review Hank Williams song by clicking the song which you like  Download "Hank Williams" Music | |
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