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.
'Neath A Cold Gray Tomb Of Stone
Hank Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Everything I love is gone,
Weeping as, they lay my darlin',
'Neath a cold gray tomb of stone
In this world, I'm left to wander, with no one to call my own
And the one I love is sleepin',
'Neath a cold gray tomb of stone
Skies above, were dark and stormin',
For the sunshine all has gone,
And the one I love is sleepin',
'Neath a cold gray tomb of stone
My heart's dead, and yet I'm livin',
Wanderin' through this world alone,
I wish that I was with my darlin',
'Neath a cold gray tomb of stone
'Neath a cold gray tomb of stone
Hank Williams's “Neath a Cold Gray Tomb of Stone” is a heartbreaking country ballad about losing a loved one and the pain, loneliness, and grief that follows. The song's opening line places the singer passing by a graveyard, and everything he loves is gone. The tone is immediately set, reflecting the weight of his sorrow. The song speaks to the experience of feeling alone and navigating a world without one’s partner or loved one.
The loss of the singer's sweetheart and the enduring pain he suffers comes through in the repeated line “neath a cold gray tomb of stone” that permeates the song. The graveyard is a physical manifestation of his loss, and the “cold gray tomb of stone” signifies the permanence of death, a reality he can’t escape. The darkness and storms that surround him echo the emotional landscape of life without her. His wish to join her “neath a cold gray tomb of stone” suggests a deep longing for relief from the pain of his existence without her. Williams delivers an emotionally charged vocal, with his voice slowing as the gravity of the song's theme sets in.
Line by Line Meaning
Passing by a lonesome graveyard
As I pass by the lonely graveyard, I am reminded of my own loneliness and the loss of my loved ones.
Everything I love is gone
All the people and things that I have loved in life are no longer here with me, leaving me feeling very alone and empty.
Weeping as they lay my darling
I am grieving and crying as I watch them lay my beloved to rest.
Neath a cold gray tomb of stone
My loved one has been buried under a cold grey gravestone, leaving me with a feeling of emptiness and sorrow.
In this world I'm left to wander
Without my loved one, I feel lost and without direction in this world.
With no one to call my own
With the loss of my loved one, I am left with no one to love and call my own.
While my precious darling's sleeping
As my beloved lies peacefully in their final resting place, I am left to mourn and continue on without them.
Out there in that lonesome graveyard
The graveyard is a lonely place, a reminder of my own loneliness and loss.
She is sleeping all alone
My beloved is resting peacefully in the grave, separate from me and alone.
And I buried my heart with her
With the loss of my loved one, I feel as though a part of me has died and has been buried with them.
Skies above are dark and stormy
The world seems to reflect my sadness and grief with its dark and stormy weather.
All the sunshine, all is gone
With the loss of my loved one, the brightness and joy that once existed in my life has disappeared, leaving only sadness and emptiness.
For the while my love is sleeping
While my loved one rests in the grave, I am left to live without them, though I still feel their presence in my life.
My heart is dead and yet i`m living
Though I feel as though a part of me has died with my beloved, I am still alive and continuing on with my life.
Traveling through this world alone
Without my loved one, I am navigating my way through life alone, feeling lost and incomplete.
I wish that I was with my darling
Despite the pain and sorrow, I long to be reunited with my beloved in death and to rest beside them in the grave.
Neath a cold gray tomb of stone
The final resting place of my loved one - a lonely, cold and grey grave that reflects the emptiness and sadness of my life without them.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FOREE, WILLIAMS, SR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind