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.
At the First Fall of Snow
Hank Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His garments were sackcloth, all tattered and torn
He told me a story, of sorrow and woe
His heart went to heaven, at the first fall of snow
He spoke of his angel, a dear baby girl
He loved ev'ry footstep, he loved ev'ry curl
But she went to heaven, just one year agoThe angels came for her, at the first fall of snow
He still had the dolly that she used to love
He held and caressed it and gazed up above
He whispered, ?My baby, you're waiting, I know
I'll bring you, your dolly at the first fall of snow?
And there as I listened, my eyes filled with tears
I knew she was part of his happier years
His frail body trembled, he spoke soft and low
I'll be with my baby at the first fall of snow
I patted his shoulder, my feelings to hide
He couldn't know I was crying inside
He smiled as we parted, 'cause he didn't know
That we lost our baby at the first fall of snow
The song "At the First Fall of Snow" by Hank Williams is a heartbreaking narrative of a man who has lost his young daughter, and the pain and sorrow he still carries with him. The song opens with the singer encountering a stranger, who is heavily adorned in sackcloth, telling a tale of woe and sorrow. The stranger goes on to tell of his angel, his dear baby girl, and how much he loved her every step and every curl. He reveals that his daughter passed away just one year ago, at the first fall of snow, taken away to heaven by the angels.
The man still holds onto the dolly that she loved, and whispers to it that he knows his baby girl is waiting for him, and he will bring her the dolly at the first fall of snow. As the stranger spoke, the singer's eyes filled with tears, understanding his pain all too well. The man trembled with emotion as he revealed that he would be with his baby at the first fall of snow. The singer, touched by his story, patted his shoulder to hide his own feelings of sorrow, and smiled as they parted, concealing the fact that they too had lost their baby at the first fall of snow.
The song is a poignant and emotional exploration of loss, grief, and the deep love that we have for our children. It highlights the universal pain of losing a loved one, and how the memories we hold of them can both comfort and haunt us. Through the stranger's story, the song brings forth a powerful message of love, hope, and the unbreakable bond between a parent and child.
Line by Line Meaning
I talked with a stranger, so sad and forlorn
I conversed with a man who was deeply saddened and lost
His garments were sackcloth, all tattered and torn
He was wearing clothes that were worn out, symbolizing his poverty and despair
He told me a story, of sorrow and woe
He shared a tale of great sadness and despair
His heart went to heaven, at the first fall of snow
His beloved daughter passed away during the first snowfall of the year, and his heart went with her to heaven
He spoke of his angel, a dear baby girl
He spoke of his daughter, whom he affectionately called his angel
He loved every footstep, he loved every curl
He loved every part of her, from the sound of her footsteps to the curls in her hair
But she went to heaven, just one year ago
Sadly, she passed away a year before our conversation
The angels came for her, at the first fall of snow
She passed away on the first day of snowfall, and the angels came to take her to heaven
He still had the dolly that she used to love
He held onto his daughter's cherished doll as a reminder of her
He held and caressed it and gazed up above
He held the doll close, as if trying to connect with his daughter in heaven
He whispered, 'My baby, you're waiting, I know
He imagined his daughter waiting for him in heaven, and spoke to her quietly
I'll bring you, your dolly at the first fall of snow'
He promised to bring the doll to his daughter in heaven next time it snowed
And there as I listened, my eyes filled with tears
As I listened to his story, I became emotional and my eyes filled with tears
I knew she was part of his happier years
I realized that his daughter was a source of happiness in his life before her passing
His frail body trembled, he spoke soft and low
He was physically weak and emotional as he spoke quietly
I'll be with my baby at the first fall of snow
He longed to join his daughter in heaven when it snowed again
I patted his shoulder, my feelings to hide
I comforted him by patting his shoulder, but tried to suppress my emotions
He couldn't know I was crying inside
I didn't want him to see me crying, so I hid my sadness
He smiled as we parted, 'cause he didn't know
He smiled as we said goodbye, oblivious to my feelings
That we lost our baby at the first fall of snow
I too had experienced the loss of a loved one during the first snowfall of the year
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LORENE ROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@scarlettayres7408
So sad but beautiful xx
@ronaldstrange8981
This is 2023 and I am glad that Hank is still remembered, appreciated and loved. He will be entertaining the world, long after this 87 year old Englishman is long gone and forgotten. Regards to all his fans. October, 2023. England.
@willtap1945
Hank died at the age of 29 but the impact he made during his short life still makes the earth tremble. God Bless a Great Man
@mikeaubuchon8409
I ❤ this song .
At the cemetery next to my mom's grave there's a 3 month baby boy buried there . You can clearly see that nobody visits the grave because there's never no flowers on the grave . I find this so sad , because its like he's been forgotten . I know its not the case because I know a parent would never forget such a tragic loss.
I place flowers on his grave for him , for his parents . Because I think everyone should have flowers on their grave - so people know that someone cares and as a sign that the person hasn't been forgotten .
@trainsntile
Very sad, Mike. Very considerate of you. Maybe the heartache is too great & the family does not wish to relive what happened to the infant :-(.................
@psychonaut689
You didn't forget him Mike.
@jackagee3122
GOD BLESS U.
@DanielRichards-he6ep
Amen for your compassion
@steppininmaaf1s236
Good sir 👍
@psychonaut689
Some people might call this sort of song maudlin but I'd like to think that this would bring comfort to couples who have lost children before their time. And there are couples who have lost children; we shouldn't forget.