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.
Why Should We Try Anymore
Hank Williams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That we should have admitted before
We were just victims of a half hearted love
So why should we try anymore?
The vows that we make are only to break
We drift like a wave from the shore
The kisses we steal we know are not real
The dreams that we knew can never come true
They're gone to return no more
False love like ours fades with the flowers
So why should we try anymore?
Our story's so old, again has been told
On the past let's close the door
And smile, don't regret but live then forget
There's no use to try anymore
The song "Why Should We Try Anymore" by Hank Williams is a melancholic reflection on a failing relationship that has reached its end. The opening lines of the song admit that the couple has been living a lie and that they should have acknowledged it before. They were victims of a love that was only half-hearted, and the relationship was doomed from the start. The vows made were only going to be broken, and they drifted away from each other like waves from the shore. They knew that the kisses they stole were not real and that their dreams were never going to come true. The false love they shared would eventually fade like flowers. In the end, they realized that there was no use in trying anymore, and they should move on and forget the past.
The song's melancholic tone is fitting for a couple who has reached the end of their relationship. The lyrics convey the realization that the couple has come to, that their love has faded, and there is no use in trying anymore. The words evoke a sense of regret and sorrow and are an authentic depiction of the emotional pain of a failing relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the use to deny we've been livin' a lie
It's pointless to pretend that we haven't been living a lie.
That we should have admitted before
We should have admitted this truth earlier.
We were just victims of a half hearted love
We were both victims of a love that wasn't fully committed.
So why should we try anymore?
There's no point in continuing to try when there's no real love left between us.
The vows that we make are only to break
We know that the promises we make to each other will only end up broken.
We drift like a wave from the shore
Our relationship is aimless and constantly moving apart from each other.
The kisses we steal we know are not real
We know that our physical affection for each other is fake and insincere.
So why should we try anymore?
There's no point in continuing to try when there's no real love left between us.
The dreams that we knew can never come true
We understand that the hopes and aspirations we had for our relationship will never be fulfilled.
They're gone to return no more
Those dreams are gone forever, never to be realized.
False love like ours fades with the flowers
Love that's not true or genuine will inevitably fade away just like flowers do.
So why should we try anymore?
There's no point in continuing to try when there's no real love left between us.
Our story's so old, again has been told
Our relationship problems are nothing new or unique and have been experienced before.
On the past let's close the door
We should move on from the past and not dwell on it anymore.
And smile, don't regret but live then forget
We should try to be happy, not regretful, and live in the present, forgetting the past.
There's no use to try anymore
There's no point in continuing to try when there's no real love left between us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HANK WILLIAMS SR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ryan
What's the use to deny? We've been living a lie
That we should have admitted before
We were just victims of a half-hearted love
So why should we try any more?
The vows that we make are only to break
We drift like a wave from the shore
The kisses we steal we know are not real
So why should we try any more?
The dreams that we knew can never come true
They're gone to return no more
False love like ours fades with the flowers
So why should we try any more?
Our story's so old, again has been told
On the past, let's close the door
And smile, don't regret but live and forget
There's no use to try any more.
James Tessman
I've always loved hank, he is one of the few musicians where you could feel his soul in everything he sang, whether it was happy, funny, sad, heartbreaking, or worship. He put his soul in record and it can still be felt to this day.
Psilocin72
Best thing I've ever heard. This guy's poetry can stand alongside the all time greats. Fantastic!
Robert Lewis
No matter how hard anybody tries this man can never be beat this is what I grew up on
Joseph Kane
Hank Williams is regarded as the Greatest singer songwriter of his time as most of his songs are timeless Classic in there own right as most of the country artists have done his songs
Nora Brockhaus
This song is new to me. Hank could have written it for me and my ex. We were married the first time 2+ years, divorced 7 years, remarried. That lasted 17 years.We have been apart 20 years now and I won't try again. But this is the greatness of the man. We can all identify with his songs at various times in our life. Thanks for posting this.
RamBeuk
There's no one who can sing like him.
Clayton Davis
I agree yet disagree, Jake Penrod does an excellent job, but he can’t nail that real pain and soul and feeling Hank put into his songs…no matter what Hank will always reign #1 in my book, with George jones following close behind
James
I listened to Hank because of my uncle, he was played frequently on my Indian reserve’s radio. I started to listen to Hank after I heard one of his songs. This song really hits hard
Clayton Davis
This is hanks best version, in my opinion he had the extra bit of pain and soul in his voice when recording this…
Andrew B
This song hit #9 on Billboard's C&W chart, but is probably the least-known of his hits today. It just goes to show how strong his catalogue was. For anybody else, a Top 10 hit would be a big deal, but Hank had 35 Top 10s, so ...