I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
Hank Williams Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whinin' low
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawlin' by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry

Instrumental


Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die?
Like me, he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome, I could cry

Instrumental

The silence of a fallin' star
Lights up a purple sky

cnd as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome, I could cry

Overall Meaning

Hank Williams's "I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry" is a melancholy ballad that relates the despair of the singer. The song is a deeply affecting portrait of a lonely man who is overwhelmed by heartbreak, sorrow, and the longing for a lost love. The opening lines, "Hear that lonesome whippoorwill, He sounds too blue to fly," evokes an image of a bird that is similarly sad and alone, unable to take flight.


Throughout the song, Williams employs a series of metaphors and similes to convey the depth and intensity of his anguish. He compares his loneliness to the mournful whine of a midnight train, the weeping of a robin as leaves begin to wither, the darkness of a moonless night, and the silence of a falling star. By describing his desolation through these vivid images and symbols, Williams underscores the power and universality of the human experience of loneliness.


The last two lines of the song, "And as I wonder where you are, I'm so lonesome I could cry," are particularly poignant. These lines reveal that the source of the singer's pain is the absence of a loved one. The song is a moving testament to the pain of separation and the eternal human yearning for connection and intimacy.


Line by Line Meaning

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
Listen to the sound of that lonely whippoorwill bird


He sounds too blue to fly
The bird sounds so sad that it cannot even fly


The midnight train is whining low
The train passing in the night is making a sad, mournful sound


I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad, to the point where I could cry


I've never seen a night so long
This night seems endless and never-ending


When time goes crawling by
Time seems to be passing very slowly and painfully


The moon just went behind the clouds
The moon disappeared behind the clouds


To hide its face and cry
As if it is ashamed and crying at the same time


Did you ever see a robin weep
Have you ever witnessed a robin crying?


When leaves begin to die
When the leaves of the trees start to wither


That means he's lost the will to live
The robin has lost its desire for life and feels hopeless


I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad, to the point where I could cry


The silence of a falling star
The stillness that follows a shooting star


Lights up a purple sky
Creates a moment of fleeting beauty on the dark sky


And as I wonder where you are
In my loneliness and despair, I cannot help but think about where you are


I'm so lonesome I could cry
I am extremely lonely and sad, to the point where I could cry




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@markbouldin6513

Hey Big Guy, Would you tell me anything about your country's conflict? I'm 62 year's old and I can't make head's nor tails out of it especially with our country's talking head's bought and paid for by the ones we dare not talk about....

My uncle Willie was KIA in Germany in 1945 shortly before WWII ended, he was 21 year's old....

And over the year's I've read that US General's serving in that war lamented that we/America may have been on the wrong side of that war....

I have concluded that most war's are some rich man's trick as they play both side's and collect the spoils.... Evil, satanic individuals with bloodlines traceable to the "falling ones".... Nephilim I understand....

And just my humble opinion and having little education in regards to history and most other subject matter....

And I apoligise as I know I'm light-years out of context here....

I saw Hank Williams Jr. In concert a couple time's in the eighties, he put on great shows albeit in one show he was quiet "juiced up" as was the rest of us...

Funny I may never forget him telling the audience and I quote he said "folk's you know I spent the first nine month's of my life trying to get out of the womb" and folk's I want you to know that since I was about 15 "I've spent the rest of my life trying to get back in there"....

He lamented all the silly-ass Hank Williams imitators out there his words and said "tonight you'll know the Real Hank Williams Jr. or something close to that....

I think my friend's and I would vote HWJ for president if given the chance, he'd probably take Vlad and some more world leaders fishing out on some big lake and end all the goophy war's via sheer comeraderie, trust and solidarity....

Peace young Brother....❤❤❤



@dixienourmous10

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
I've never seen a night so long
And time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves begin to die?
Like me, he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome, I could cry
That's a good one
It's a lonesome song, ain't it?
Ain't that lonesome, woo
Now you can't get any much lonesome right, can you?
Want to whip a will so lonesome it can't fly
He done got lonesome, man



@Gh0st_0190

"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry

I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by
The moon just went behind the clouds
To hide its face and cry

Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves began to die?
Like me, he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry

The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry



@pre-debutera6941

Hear that lonesome whippoorwill
He sounds too blue to fly.
The midnight train is whining low
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
I've never seen a night so long
When time goes crawling by.
The moon just went behind a cloud
To hide its face and cry.
Did you ever see a robin weep
When leaves began to die?
That means he's lost the will to live
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky.
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry.



All comments from YouTube:

@cherilynnedrost122

Husbands favorite artist.He passed 3 days ago. I am listening to this for him.Here you go, Love of my life. RIP Dear.

@eyoung2289

Sorry for your loss. My you find comfort and peace !

@cherilynnedrost122

Thank you.

@GodSpark127

AUBURN HALO I can't even imagine... But I bet he is smiling every time you listen to Hank.

@coltkitt

AUBURN HALO  I recently lost one of my brothers and my mother & this favorite of all my family is most appropriate. I`m so bummed right now.

@Grisbi6

AUBURN HALO So sorry for your loss....we will listen for you and for him...

244 More Replies...

@mez8801

I'm Mexican American. I didn't grow up listening to old country music. But the first time I heard this song, I felt the grief and pain that has no borders or boundaries.

@Turan_Kazakhstan

Pendeho

@phillong8591

Storms pass brother. The sun always rises in the morning.

@ninllot

yo soy de sudamerica, y cuando escuche "true christmas" de Sabaton, derrame lagrimas

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