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.
Little Paper Boy
Hank Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stood a little paper boy so hungry and cold
And as the crowd came passin' by
These words he said with tears in his eyes
"Please buy a paper from me
So I can get me somethin' to eat
My clothes are ragged, no shoes on my feet"
"Out in this cold wide world all alone
I have no place on this earth to call home
I haven't had the chance that other kids had
I have no mother, nor even a dad"
"So please buy a paper from me
So I can get me somethin' to eat
My clothes are ragged, no shoes on my feet"
Said the little paper boy, there on the street
Early next mornin' as the crowd passed by
The little boy was gone and they wondered why
They started searchin' and then found him dead
He died with the papers under his head
No one was there, his body to claim
There he was lying but he felt no pain
Now he has gone up to Heaven we know
The little paper boy who died in the snow
There ya have it, friends
The lyrics of the song "Little Paper Boy" by Hank Williams tell the heartbreaking story of a young boy who is out on the streets, selling newspapers to survive. The opening verse describes the boy standing on the corner, begging passersby to buy a paper from him so that he can get something to eat. The boy is destitute, with no shoes on his feet and ragged clothes. The next verse reveals that the boy is alone in the world, with no family or home to call his own. He has been denied the opportunities that other children have had.
The chorus of the song repeats the little boy's plea for help. He asks the people passing by to buy a paper from him so that he can have enough money to eat. He explains his desperate situation with a mix of sadness and hopefulness, addressing the listener with charged emotion. The final verse of the song reveals the tragic ending of the boy's story. The next morning, the boy is found dead, with the papers he was selling still under his head. No one knows who he was or where he came from. The boy had died in the snow, alone and forgotten.
Overall, "Little Paper Boy" is a poignant tale of poverty and struggle, told with simple yet powerful lyrics. It highlights the reality of life for many children around the world who are forced to fend for themselves on the streets, with very little hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Out on the corner standin' so bold
A young paper boy stands out in the open confidently, even though he's in a dire position.
Stood a little paper boy so hungry and cold
The paper boy is not only hungry, but he's also freezing, indicating how destitute he really is.
And as the crowd came passin' by
People are around him, but they pay him no mind, suggesting how the poor and suffering are often overlooked.
These words he said with tears in his eyes
The boy cries as he pleads with passersby to buy a newspaper or two.
"Please buy a paper from me
So I can get me somethin' to eat
My clothes are ragged, no shoes on my feet"
Said the little paper boy, there on the street
The boy is so desperate he pleads, saying that his ragged clothes and lack of shoes demonstrate the seriousness of his plight.
"Out in this cold wide world all alone
I have no place on this earth to call home
I haven't had the chance that other kids had
I have no mother, nor even a dad"
The boy reveals that he's completely alone, with no support or prospects to speak of – something that other kids often take for granted.
"Early next mornin' as the crowd passed by
The little boy was gone and they wondered why
They started searchin' and then found him dead
He died with the papers under his head"
Despite his pleas for help, nobody came to his aid - it was discovered that the little boy died alone in the night with his papers acting as his only comfort.
"No one was there, his body to claim
There he was lying but he felt no pain
Now he has gone up to Heaven we know
The little paper boy who died in the snow"
There were no family or friends to mourn his passing; he died feeling nothing due to the cold, but the singer's assurance that the paper boy has gone to heaven can be interpreted as an affirmation that his struggle has ended at last.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK ANGLIN, JOHNNIE R. WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind