Born in Mount Olive, Butler County, Alabama, Williams moved to Georgiana Read Full BioHank Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953), born Hiram King Williams, was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time. Williams recorded 35 singles (five released posthumously) that would place in the Top 10 of the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, including 11 that ranked number one.
Born in Mount Olive, Butler County, Alabama, Williams moved to Georgiana, where he met Rufus Payne, a black street performer who gave him guitar lessons in exchange for meals. Payne had a major influence on Williams's later musical style. During this time, Williams informally changed his name to Hank, believing it to be a better name for country music. After moving to Montgomery, Williams began his career in 1937 when WSFA radio station producers hired him to perform and host a 15-minute program. He formed as backup the Drifting Cowboys band, which was managed by his mother, and dropped out of school to devote all of his time to his career.
When several of his band members were conscripted to military service during World War II, Williams had trouble with their replacements and started drinking heavily, causing WSFA to dismiss him. Williams eventually married Audrey Sheppard, who became his manager for nearly a decade. After recording "Never Again" and "Honky Tonkin'" with Sterling Records, he signed a contract with MGM Records. In 1948 he released "Move it on Over," which became a hit, and also joined the Louisiana Hayride radio program. In 1949, he released a cover of "Lovesick Blues," which carried him into the mainstream of music. After an initial rejection, Williams joined the Grand Ole Opry. He had 11 number one songs between 1948 and 1953, though he was unable to read or notate music to any significant degree. Among the hits he wrote were "Your Cheatin' Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'," and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry."
During his last years Williams's consumption of alcohol, morphine and other painkillers severely compromised his professional and personal life. He divorced his wife and was dismissed by the Grand Ole Opry due to frequent drunkenness. Williams died suddenly in the early morning hours of New Years Day in 1953 at the age of 29. Despite his short life, Williams has had a major influence on country music. The songs he wrote and recorded have been covered by numerous artists, many of whom have also had hits with the tunes, in a range of pop, gospel, blues and rock styles.
Alabama governor Gordon Persons officially proclaimed September 21 "Hank Williams Day". The first celebration, in 1954 featured the unveiling of a monument at the Cramton Bowl, that was later placed in the grave site of Williams. The ceremony featured Ferlin Husky interpreting "I Saw the Light".[70]
Williams had 11 number one hits in his career ("Lovesick Blues," "Long Gone Lonesome Blues," "Why Don't You Love Me," "Moanin' the Blues," "Cold, Cold Heart," "Hey, Good Lookin'," "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)," "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive," "Kaw-Liga," "Your Cheatin' Heart," and "Take These Chains from My Heart"), as well as many other top ten hits.[71]
In 1961, Williams was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he was inducted in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1987, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under the category Early Influence. He was ranked second in CMT's 40 Greatest Men of Country Music in 2003, behind only Johnny Cash. His son, Hank Jr., was ranked on the same list. In 2004 Rolling Stone ranked him number 74 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The website Acclaimedmusic, which collates recommendations of albums and recording artists, has a year-by-year recommendation for top artists. Hank Williams is ranked first for the decade 1940–1949 for his song "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." Many rock and roll pioneers of the 1950s, such as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded Williams songs early in their careers.
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Hank Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
Hank Williams's "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry" is a melancholy ballad that relates the despair of the narrator. The song is a deeply affecting portrait of a lonely man who is overwhelmed by heartbreak, sorrow, and the longing for a lost love. The opening lines, "Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, He sounds too blue to fly," evokes an image of a bird that is similarly sad and alone, unable to take flight.
Throughout the song, Williams employs a series of metaphors and similes to convey the depth and intensity of his anguish. He compares his loneliness to the mournful whine of a midnight train, the weeping of a robin as leaves begin to wither, the darkness of a moonless night, and the silence of a falling star. By describing his desolation through these vivid images and symbols, Williams underscores the power and universality of the human experience of loneliness.
The last two lines of the song, "And as I wonder where you are, I'm so lonesome I could cry," are particularly poignant. These lines reveal that the source of the narrator's pain is the absence of a loved one. The song is a moving testament to the pain of separation and the eternal human yearning for connection and intimacy.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
Listen to the sound of that lonely whippoorwill bird
He sounds too blue to fly
The bird sounds so sad that it cannot even fly
The midnight train is whining low
The train passing in the night is making a sad, mournful sound
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad, to the point where I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
This night seems endless and never-ending
When time goes crawling by
Time seems to be passing very slowly and painfully
The moon just went behind the clouds
The moon disappeared behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry
As if it is ashamed and crying at the same time
Did you ever see a robin weep
Have you ever witnessed a robin crying?
When leaves begin to die
When the leaves of the trees start to wither
That means he's lost the will to live
The robin has lost its desire for life and feels hopeless
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad, to the point where I could cry
The silence of a falling star
The stillness that follows a shooting star
Lights up a purple sky
Creates a moment of fleeting beauty on the dark sky
And as I wonder where you are
In my loneliness and despair, I cannot help but think about where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad, to the point where I could cry
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Todd
Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
And time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die?
Like me, he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
That's a good one
It's a lonesome song, ain't it?
Ain't that lonesome, woo
Now you can't get any much lonesome right, can you?
Want to whip a will so lonesome it can't fly
He done got lonesome, man
Pre-Debut Era
Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly.
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by.
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry.
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves began to die?
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky.
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
Mina
One of my dad all time favorites... he’s in late stage Alzheimer’s I’m playing him all his favorites while I sit with him... love you daddy...
Laurie B
God bless you! It's so hard... My heart is with you sweet girl ❤️
TheDrakenZ
THC and CBD studies show to not only stop, but reverse the effects of alzheimers..... my grandfather passed from it two years ago.... too bad canada didnt legalize it sooner, he may still be here.
Crackerjack
You are a good soul
Ray White
I'm sorry to hear that. I'm very sorry I'll say some prayers. I'm small till I could cry is a very very sad song and beautiful at the same time. There is only one person can make that song Justice. And that's Elvis Presley. Hank Williams Senior would have been very proud of Elvis Presley recording I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.
Because Hank Williams Senior was very lonesome. And according to Elvis Presley even though he could have any woman in the world he was still lonesome. God bless you and your dad.
Martha McIntyre
I did the same thing with my Daddy. Hank's music still has the power to speak to the soul. Daddy has been gone over two years, and I am still listening to Hank. God Bless, and no regrets.
Hazbojangles
I’m 16 years old and this song hits harder than anything I’ve ever heard before. I can really relate to the lyrics. I’ve found a new passion in Hank Williams.
magadc1
Glad you joined the club
Shaun Elijah
You GO young man. You've got GREAT taste in music.....
Hazbojangles
@Shaun Elijah Thank you sir! Can you recommend any other similar songs by different artists?