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.
I've Just Told Mama Goodbye
Hank Williams Lyrics
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The rose I wore was red
But today I'm saying my first prayer
Mama's lying on her dying bed.
I've just told mama good- bye
Mother's day has turned to night
Like the flowers in may, she withered away
This is the dreaded hour
We all must face someday
Yet there's consolation in my heart
She will bloom in the master's bouquet.
Her time has come to go
And there's nothing I can do
Only hold her hand and say goodbye
Mama's day with her children is through.
I've just told mama goodbye
And knelt beside her bed
I heard her say, "I'll meet you someday,
Where the white roses turn to red."
The lyrics of Hank Williams's "I've Just Told Mama Goodbye" is a poignant and melancholic reflection on the inevitability of death and the complex emotions of loss and grief. The song follows the singer's journey as he confronts the reality that his mother is dying and eventually passes away. The singer reminisces about his previous Mother's Day celebrations, where he would wear a red rose in honor of his mother. However, he now recognizes that this year's Mother's Day has turned into a time of mourning, as his mother lays on her death bed.
The singer expresses the pain of watching his mother wither away like the May flowers, and the thought of his red rose turning white, symbolic of the fading of life. He acknowledges that death is an eventual rite of passage that everybody has to go through. Nonetheless, he finds strength in the hope that his mother will bloom again in the 'Master's bouquet,' which refers to the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead.
As the song reaches its emotional climax, the singer sits by his dying mother and says his final goodbyes. His mother assures him that they will meet again where the white roses turn to red, implying the hope of reuniting in the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Each year on mother's day
At the same time every year when people honor and show appreciation for their mothers
The rose I wore was red
I picked a red rose and wore it as a symbol of love and gratitude for my mother
But today I'm saying my first prayer
On this particular day, I'm praying for my mother's well-being
Mama's lying on her dying bed.
My mother is currently on her deathbed
I've just told mama good-bye
I've recently said goodbye to my mother, possibly for the last time
Mother's day has turned to night
What started as a day of celebration has turned into a dark and sad night due to my mother's condition
Like the flowers in may, she withered away
My mother's health and well-being gradually faded away, just like the flowers in May eventually wilt and die
And my red rose is turning white.
My symbol of love and appreciation for my mother is losing its bright, vibrant color and fading into white, symbolizing loss and grief
This is the dreaded hour
This is the moment that everyone fears, the time when we have to say goodbye to our loved ones
We all must face someday
Eventually, we will all have to confront the reality of death and loss
Yet there's consolation in my heart
Despite the pain and grief, I still feel some comfort in my heart
She will bloom in the master's bouquet.
My mother's soul will go to be with God and continue to flourish and bloom in heaven
Her time has come to go
My mother's time on Earth has come to an end
And there's nothing I can do
As much as I wish I could, there is nothing I can do to change the situation
Only hold her hand and say goodbye
All I can do now is be with my mother in her final moments and say my goodbyes
Mama's day with her children is through.
My mother's time of being a mother to her children has officially ended
And knelt beside her bed
I got on my knees beside my mother's deathbed as a sign of respect, love, and goodbye
I heard her say, "I'll meet you someday, Where the white roses turn to red."
My mother expressed that even in death, she would meet me again someday, when the white roses, a symbol of purity and spirituality, turn to the brighter, vibrant color of red
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CURLY KINSEY, SUNSHINE SLIM SWEET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind