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.
Blue Love
Hank Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What can I do, love, with my heart
It's got a burnin', yearnin' while we're a-part
I've got a blue love in my heart.
So blue the nights, so blue the days
Why don't you write to me and say;
An "I'll come thru love" in your heart
And stop this burnin', yearnin' while we're a-part
I've got a blue love in my heart.
I've got an old flame in my heart
A solid-gold flame in my heart
I'm like a weepin'-willow, while we're apart
I've got a blue love in my heart.
What can I do, where can I go
I never knew I loved you so
I've got a blue love in my heart
What can I do love with my heart
I'm like a weepin-willow, while we're apart
I got a blue love in my heart.
The opening line of Hank Williams's song Blue Love in my Heart sets the tone for the rest of the lyrical account, as a heartwarming, yet melancholic love song. The opening lines explain that the singer is plagued with a feeling of yearning and burning for his significant other, who they describe as their "blue love." Furthermore, they are struggling to find a way to cope with this feeling, as the heartache manifests itself physically, leaving the singer feeling "like a weeping willow."
The second verse speaks of the separation that they are currently enduring and how it reflects in the endless heart-wrenching days and nights they are experiencing. The singer pleads with the other person to write to them and assure them that they feel the same way about them, calling for an end to the "burning, yearning."
The final verse speaks of the singer's nostalgic affection for their old flame, referring to it as a "solid gold flame." Despite this old love, the singer is still plagued with the blue love they feel for their current partner, feeling like a weeping willow in the absence of their lover. The song's lyrics address the duality of love and the pain of separating from someone you love dearly.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a blue love in my heart
I am deeply in love with you, but our separation is causing me great sadness and longing.
What can I do, love, with my heart
I am asking for guidance on how to deal with the overwhelming emotions I'm feeling because of our separation.
It's got a burnin', yearnin' while we're a-part
My heart is filled with a passionate fire and intense longing for you while we are apart.
So blue the nights, so blue the days
The sadness and loneliness I feel without you is pervasive and unrelenting, affecting all aspects of my life.
Why don't you write to me and say;
I am requesting that you correspond with me and express your feelings for me so that I may feel closer to you despite our distance.
You've got a true love in your heart
I hope that you love me as deeply and truly as I love you.
An 'I'll come thru love' in your heart
I hope that you have the desire and intention to be with me despite our current separation.
And stop this burnin', yearnin' while we're a-part
If you reciprocate my feelings and commit to being with me, it will alleviate the intense longing and passion I feel for you while we are apart.
I've got an old flame in my heart
Although we are currently apart, my affection for you is steadfast and enduring.
A solid-gold flame in my heart
My love for you is precious and valuable, and I treasure it deeply.
I'm like a weepin'-willow, while we're apart
The sadness and longing I feel for you while we are separated causes me to feel as though I am weeping like a sorrowful willow tree.
What can I do, where can I go
I am at a loss for what to do or where to turn because my love for you is so strong, yet we are apart.
I never knew I loved you so
I am surprised by the intensity and depth of my feelings for you, as I never realized how much I loved you until we were separated.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BIG HEART MUSIC LLC
Written by: ROSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind