Thompson's musical style, characterized as Honky Tonk Swing, is a mixture of big-band instrumentation, fiddle and steel guitar that supports his distinctive, gravelly baritone vocals on songs he often writes himself. His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the No.1 Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard Magazine.
He decided to pursue his musical talent after serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II as a radioman and studying electrical engineering at the university level. His first single was "Whoa Sailor" in 1946. The year 1952 brought his first #1 disc, "The Wild Side of Life", which contained the memorable line "I didn't know God made honky-tonk angels" (which inspired the Kitty Wells response, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels"). Other hits followed in quick succession in the 1950s and 1960s. Although not as prominent in later decades, he has remained an active and respected performer in the field, finding new audiences as a result of the resurgence of a harder-edged sound in country music.
Hank Thompson was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1989 and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997. He was born 3 September 1925 in Waco, Texas, and passed away at home in Keller, Texas, on 6 November 2007, just four days after cancelling his final tour.
Luckiest Heartache In Town
Hank Thompson Lyrics
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He was making his way to some station to catch a long distance train
May I sleep in your barn Mister it is cold lying out on the ground
And the cold north wind is whistling and I have no place to lie down
Now I have no tobacco nor matches and I'm sure I can cause you no harm
I will tell you my story kind Mister for it runs through my heart like a storm
When a stranger came out from the city and said that he wanted to stay
Now the stranger was fair tall and handsome and he looked like a man who had wealth
And he wanted to stay in the country said he wanted to stop for his health
One night as I came from my workshop I was whistling and singing with joy
I expected a kind hearty welcome from my sweet loving wife and my boy
But what did I find but a letter it was placed in my room on the stand
And the moment my eyes fell upon it I picked it right up in my hand
Now this note said my wife and the stranger had left and had taken my son
Oh I wonder if God up in heaven only knows what this stranger has done
May I sleep in your barn Mister it is cold lying out on the ground
And the cold north wind is a whistling and I have no place to lie down
The song "Luckiest Heartache in Town" by Hank Thompson tells the story of a tramp who seeks shelter in a barn during a storm. As he asks permission to sleep there, he offers to tell his story to the farmer. He shares how, three years ago, a stranger came from the city and stayed in the countryside. The stranger was tall, handsome, and wealthy, and claimed he wanted to stay for his health. One day, the tramp returned home from his workshop to find that his wife and son had left with the stranger, leaving a heartbreaking note behind.
The song conveys the sadness and betrayal that the tramp has experienced in the past, and his present predicament of being homeless and alone. The lyrics also highlight the vulnerability of a stranger seeking help and shelter from someone he does not know. The song is a tale of human struggles, trust, deceit, and loss.
Overall, the song "Luckiest Heartache in Town" is a poignant and evocative narrative that portrays the hardships of life, and how life does not always pan out the way we want it to. It is an illustration of the unpredictable nature of human emotions and situations.
Line by Line Meaning
One night it was dark and it was storming when along came a tramp in the rain
On a dark and stormy night, a homeless man appeared in the pouring rain.
He was making his way to some station to catch a long distance train
The homeless man was heading towards a train station to catch a long-distance train.
May I sleep in your barn Mister it is cold lying out on the ground
The homeless man asked to sleep in the barn to escape the cold and wet weather.
And the cold north wind is whistling and I have no place to lie down
The homeless man had no place to settle down and was being pelted by icy winds.
Now I have no tobacco nor matches and I'm sure I can cause you no harm
The homeless man had no tobacco or matches and promised not to cause any trouble.
I will tell you my story kind Mister for it runs through my heart like a storm
The homeless man wanted to share his heartbreaking story with the kind stranger.
It was three years ago just last summer I shall never forget that sad day
The homeless man recalled a fateful day from three years ago.
When a stranger came out from the city and said that he wanted to stay
A stranger from the city arrived and expressed a desire to remain in the area.
Now the stranger was fair tall and handsome and he looked like a man who had wealth
The stranger was good-looking and gave off the impression of being wealthy.
And he wanted to stay in the country said he wanted to stop for his health
The stranger claimed that he wanted to stay in the countryside for his health.
One night as I came from my workshop I was whistling and singing with joy
The homeless man reminisced about a happy night when he was returning from work, singing and whistling happily.
I expected a kind hearty welcome from my sweet loving wife and my boy
The man expected to be welcomed warmly by his wife and son.
But what did I find but a letter it was placed in my room on the stand
Instead, he found a letter left on his nightstand.
And the moment my eyes fell upon it I picked it right up in my hand
The man immediately read the letter upon seeing it.
Now this note said my wife and the stranger had left and had taken my son
The letter revealed that his wife and the stranger had left, taking their son with them.
Oh I wonder if God up in heaven only knows what this stranger has done
The man wondered if he would ever know the full story of what the stranger had done.
And the cold north wind is a whistling and I have no place to lie down
The homeless man was still without shelter, left alone with his thoughts as the cold wind continued to whistle around him.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY GRAY, DOROTHY THOMPSON, HANK THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind