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.
Alone and Forsaken
Hank Williams Lyrics
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The pastures were green and the meadows were gold
Our love was in flower as summer grew on
Her love, like the leaves, now have withered and gone
The roses have faded, there's frost at my door
The birds in the morning don't sing anymore
The grass in the valley is starting to die
Alone and forsaken by fate and by man
Oh, Lord, if You hear me, please hold a my hand
Oh, please understand
Oh, where has she gone to? Oh, where can she be?
She may have forsaken some other like me
She promised to honor, to love and obey
Each vow was a plaything that she threw away
The darkness is falling, the sky has turned gray
A hound in the distance is starting to bay
I wonder, I wonder, what she's thinking of
Forsaken, forgotten, without any love
Alone and forsaken by fate and by man
Oh, Lord, if You hear me, please hold a my hand
Oh, please understand
In the song "Alone and Forsaken," Hank Williams sings about a love that has withered away, leaving him alone and forgotten. The song begins with a nostalgic look back at the beginning of their love, in the springtime when blossoms were unfolding, and their love was in full bloom. However, as summer turned to fall, the love began to fade, and now it has withered away completely, leaving him alone and forsaken.
Williams uses natural imagery to convey the loneliness and desperation he feels in the present. He sings about the roses having faded, frost at his door, and the birds no longer singing in the morning. Even the grass in the valley is starting to die, which highlights the mournful atmosphere of the song. As night falls, the whippoorwills cry out, emphasizing the isolation and despair that Williams feels.
The chorus of the song reflects Williams' emotional state as he pleads for divine intervention, asking the Lord to hold his hand and understand his pain. He wonders where his love has gone and if she has left him for someone else. He laments the promises she made to him, vowing to love and obey, which she ultimately threw away, leaving him alone and forsaken.
Line by Line Meaning
We met in the springtime when blossoms unfold
We started our relationship in the beginning of the warm season, when flowers start to bloom.
The pastures were green and the meadows were gold
During the time we met, the grass and fields were lush and full of life.
Our love was in flower as summer grew on
Our affection bloomed and grew as the days became longer and warmer.
Her love, like the leaves, now have withered and gone
But now, like the leaves on the trees during autumn, her love has faded and died.
The roses have faded, there's frost at my door
The beauty of life has faded and given way to the harsh reality of cold and decay.
The birds in the morning don't sing anymore
The joy we once shared has been replaced by a haunting silence.
The grass in the valley is starting to die
The once vivid colors of the valley have began to dull and fade to shades of gray.
And out in the darkness the whippoorwills cry
In the distance, there is the eerie sound of the night's creatures grieving.
Alone and forsaken by fate and by man
I am now alone and abandoned, with no one but Providence to turn to.
Oh, Lord, if You hear me, please hold a my hand
Oh God, if you hear me and care, please offer me support and comfort.
Oh, please understand
I cannot do this on my own, I need someone to understand my pain and suffering.
Oh, where has she gone to? Oh, where can she be?
Where has my lover gone? Where could she possibly be?
She may have forsaken some other like me
Perhaps she has abandoned others before me in the same harsh way.
She promised to honor, to love and obey
But once she vowed to love, respect, and follow me.
Each vow was a plaything that she threw away
Sadly, each and every promise now seems to have been nothing more than a fleeting moment of amusement to her.
The darkness is falling, the sky has turned gray
The night is quickly approaching, and the happy day fades into the dull, gray sky.
A hound in the distance is starting to bay
A lone hound's howl echoes in the night, reminding me of the darkness and loneliness ahead.
I wonder, I wonder, what she's thinking of
I wonder whether she feels the same as I do, if she is aware of the devastation her actions have caused.
Forsaken, forgotten, without any love
I am now deserted and forgotten, with no love around me.
Alone and forsaken by fate and by man
Once again, I am forced to accept that I am alone, without the comfort of a loved one, both by the forces of life and fate.
Oh, Lord, if You hear me, please hold a my hand
Oh God, if you hear me and care, please offer me support and comfort.
Oh, please understand
I cannot do this on my own, I need someone to understand my pain and suffering.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Williams Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind