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.
No One Will Ever Know
Hank Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Although a million teardrops start to flow
I?ll cry myself to sleep and wake up smiling
I?ll miss you but no one will ever know
And realized our dreams could never be
I?ll even make believe I never loved you
Then no one will ever know the truth but me
No one will ever know how much I?m pining
Each time the past comes back to haunt me so
No one will ever see the tears I?m hiding
You?ve hurt me but no one will ever know
I?ll tell them I found true love with another
That I was glad the day you set me free
I?ll even make believe I never loved you
Then no one will ever know the truth but me
The lyrics of Hank Williams's song No One Will Ever Know beautifully express the pain of heartbreak and the struggle to hide one's true emotions from the world. The opening line, "No one will ever know my heart is breaking" sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer explains that, despite the heavy weight of their sorrow, they will keep it hidden from others. The song goes on to describe the ways in which the singer will conceal their feelings, by telling others that they simply grew apart from their lover or that they found someone new.
The poignant lyrics of this song speak to the universal experience of heartbreak and the difficulty in moving on from a lost love. Although the singer tries to convince themselves that they can fake their way through the pain and put on a happy face, the loneliness and hurt they feel continue to linger beneath the surface. Overall, No One Will Ever Know is a powerful example of Hank Williams's ability to capture complex emotions in his music and connect with listeners on a deep level.
Line by Line Meaning
No one will ever know my heart is breaking
I am keeping my heartbreak a secret from everyone and no one will ever find out about it.
Although a million teardrops start to flow
Even though I am crying a lot due to the pain, I am keeping it to myself and no one knows.
I’ll cry myself to sleep and wake up smiling
I am crying myself to sleep but pretending that everything is fine by smiling in front of others.
I’ll miss you but no one will ever know
I will always miss you, but I am not showing it to anyone and keeping it to myself.
I’ll tell them we grew tired of each other
I will make up a story that we got bored with each other to explain our breakup to others.
And realized our dreams could never be
As part of the story, we came to terms with the fact that our dreams could never be achieved together.
I’ll even make believe I never loved you
I will pretend as if I never loved you to deceive others, and no one will ever know the truth except me.
Then no one will ever know the truth but me
My plan is to keep the truth about our breakup and my feelings to myself, and no one else will ever know it.
No one will ever know how much I’m pining
I am hiding my intense longing and desire for you, and no one else knows about it.
Each time the past comes back to haunt me so
Whenever I am reminded of our past memories, I feel haunted and tormented by them.
No one will ever see the tears I’m hiding
I am concealing my tears and making sure that no one notices them.
You’ve hurt me but no one will ever know
You have caused me pain, but I am keeping it a secret from everyone else.
I’ll tell them I found true love with another
I will create a false story that I have found true love with someone else to explain my moving on to others.
That I was glad the day you set me free
As part of the story, I will say I was happy when you broke up with me and set me free to find true love.
Then no one will ever know the truth but me
In the made-up story, the truth about my feelings and the real reason for our breakup will only be known by me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ken Wood
I've heard a lot of people sing this song, but Hank lays it bare right to the bone. Just him and his guitar. It don't get any better.
oldstampsfan
Mere words cannot describe his incredible talent,there is only the joy of listening to that VOICE!
Roy Jenner
Just Hank and his guitar is all the world needs. Thank you Daniel
Lone Wolf
Great song!!! Always enjoy a good Hank Williams song.
Nancy Noname
What a great song! So glad you downloaded it. ‘No One Will Ever’ ..walk in his shoes. I love his songs. They are truly a gift to the world.
Minton Miller
my all time favorite Hank Williams recordings are these demo recordings of just Hank and His guitar. Don't get me wrong, the band was great. But for me, there was far more power in the music when it was Just Hank and his guitar.
WhiteWolfCultBlackMetal
100% agree. It's wild how just Hank and his guitar hits so much harder than the band with him but it sure does
Steve Endicott
Awesome. That way it's like he's singing just to us and a lot of the demos sound like he's right in the room with you!
Mike Aubuchon
The best version of this song , just Hank and his gutiar.
The Williams family was just voted as #1 in Country music .
Its something I already knew , but now it's confirmed . lol
They say God rested on the 7th day , I disagree - I believe on the 7th day God gave us the greatest gift of all . He gave us Hank Williams .
R.I.P. Hank - Your still the King of Country Music .
Ed McKimmy
The many comments year of HW singing with just his guitar have real merit, complimenting his near acapella voice especially in this song