Ronnie Hawkins OC (born Ronald Hawkins on 20 January 1935; died 29 May 2022… Read Full Bio ↴Ronnie Hawkins OC (born Ronald Hawkins on 20 January 1935; died 29 May 2022) was an American/Canadian rock and roll musician whose career spanned more than half a century. He recorded solo and, in early recordings, as Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks. His career began in Arkansas, where he was born and raised. He found success in Ontario, Canada, and lived there for most of his life. He is remembered as very influential in the establishment and evolution of rock music in Canada.

A pioneering rock and roll musician (and cousin to fellow rockabilly pioneer Dale Hawkins) known as "Rompin' Ronnie" Hawkins or "The Hawk", he was a key player in the 1960s rock scene in Toronto and for the next 40 years, performed all over North America, recording more than twenty-five albums. His best-known hits are "Forty Days" and "Mary Lou" (about the song narrator's experiences with a gold-digging woman), both were major hits for him in 1959.

At the age of nine, his family moved to nearby Fayetteville. After graduating from high school, he studied physical education at the University of Arkansas where he formed his first band, The Hawks, touring with them throughout Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Hawkins also owned and operated the Rockwood Club in Fayetteville where some of Rock music's earliest pioneers came to play including Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Conway Twitty.

In 1958, he moved to Canada with the Hawks and made Peterborough, Ontario, his permanent home. Gradually the members of the Hawks, except for Levon Helm, were replaced with talented Canadians Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson. This was the line-up that was to later become The Band.

His 1984 LP, 'Making It Again', garnered him a Juno Award as Canada's best Country Male Vocalist. Playing with The Band, Hawkins helped tear down the Berlin Wall in 1989 and performed at President Bill Clinton's 1992 inaugural party. In addition to his music, he has also become an accomplished actor, hosting his own television show "Honky Tonk" in the early 1980s and appearing in such films as Heaven's Gate with his friend Kris Kristofferson and Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II.

October 4, 2002 was declared "Ronnie Hawkins Day" by the city of Toronto when Hawkins was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in recognition of his lifetime contribution to music and his generous support of the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario and other charitable organizations. Ronnie Hawkins was inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame at the Canadian Music Industry Awards on March 4, 2004. His pioneering contribution to the genre has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

In 2005, he was awarded an honorary degree from Laurentian University.

Lonesome Town
Ronnie Hawkins Lyrics

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There's a place where lovers go to cry their troubles away
And they call it lonesome town, where the broken hearts stay
You can buy a dream or two to last you all through the years
And the only price you pay is a heartful of tears

Goin' down to lonesome town, where the broken hearts stay
Goin' down to lonesome town to cry my troubles away
In the town of broken hearts the streets are paved with regret

Maybe down in lonesome town I can learn to forget

There's a place where lovers go to cry their troubles away
And they call it lonesome town, where the broken hearts stay
You can buy a dream or two to last you all through the years
And the only price you pay is a heartful of tears

Goin' down to lonesome town, where the broken hearts stay
Goin' down to lonesome town to cry my troubles away

In the town of broken hearts the streets are paved with regret
Maybe down in lonesome town I can learn to forget

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ronnie Hawkins's song Lonesome Town paint a picture of a place where people go when they have been hurt and need to find solace. The singer describes this place as a destination for those who have suffered heartbreak, where they can purchase a dream or two to carry them through the years. However, the only payment required is a heartful of tears. The repeated lines of the chorus emphasize the singer's intention to visit Lonesome Town and cry his troubles away. He hopes that by going there, he can learn to forget the pain he is feeling.

The verses of the song create a vivid image of Lonesome Town as a place of regret and heartbreak. The streets in this town appear to be paved with regret, and the only thing one can do while there is to mourn their lost loves. The lyrics suggest that this is a place where all broken-hearted lovers go so they can find a safe space to grieve their losses.

Overall, the lyrics of Lonesome Town are insightful in the way they describe the unhealed wounds of those who suffer from heartbreak. The song's imagery and phrasing help to convey the sense of despair and hopelessness experienced by those who have been hurt in love.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a place where lovers go to cry their troubles away
There is a specific location where individuals who are in love and suffering from personal problems can go to find solace.

And they call it lonesome town, where the broken hearts stay
This place is also known as 'lonesome town' and it is inhabited by people whose hearts have been shattered due to various reasons.

You can buy a dream or two to last you all through the years
At the town, you can purchase a few imaginary scenarios that might help you in getting through your future years.

And the only price you pay is a heartful of tears
The only cost of obtaining these dreams is having to shed tears due to heartache.

Goin' down to lonesome town, where the broken hearts stay
The artist is indicating his intention to go to 'lonesome town', where broken-hearted residents are present.

Goin' down to lonesome town to cry my troubles away
The singer is referring to his need to shed tears in hopes of releasing his emotional pain.

In the town of broken hearts the streets are paved with regret
The environment in 'lonesome town' is permeated with regret, as the inhabitants are still lamenting their shattered love journeys.

Maybe down in lonesome town I can learn to forget
The artist is expressing an optimistic possibility that he too may find a way to move on from his heartbreak while in 'lonesome town'.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: THOMAS BAKER KNIGHT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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