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.
You Win Again
Ronnie Hawkins Lyrics
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That you've been seen, a-runnin' round
I know that I should leave but then
I just can't go, you win again
This heart of mine could never see
What everybody knew but me
Just trusting you was my great sin
I'm sorry for your victim now
'Cause soon his head like mine will bow
You'll use his heart, but all in vain
And someday say, you win again
You have no heart, you have no shame
You take true love and give the blame
I guess that I should not complain
I love you still, you win again
The lyrics of Ronnie Hawkins's song You Win Again speak of a man who is in a tumultuous relationship with a woman who has been running around town with other men. Despite knowing that he should leave her, the man can't seem to do so, and as a result, she wins. He acknowledges that his great sin was trusting her and not seeing what everyone else already knew. In the end, the singer seems to resign himself to the fact that he will always love this woman, even though she will continue to hurt him.
The theme of the song is one of betrayal, heartbreak, and the inability to break free from a relationship that is destined to fail. The singer is shown to be weak in his love for the woman, unable to leave her despite her cheating ways. She is depicted as heartless and shameless, taking true love and giving the blame. The somber tone of the song reflects the bleak reality of a love that is doomed to fail.
Line by Line Meaning
The news is out, all over town
People know that you've been cheating on me
That you've been seen, a-runnin' round
Everyone has seen you with another person
I know that I should leave but then
I am aware that I should leave you for cheating, but...
I just can't go, you win again
I am unable to leave you despite your infidelity, so you win this time.
This heart of mine could never see
I was blinded by love and unable to see the truth
What everybody knew but me
Everyone but me knew that you were cheating
Just trusting you was my great sin
My mistake was trusting you completely
What can I do, you win again
There is nothing I can do, you have won.
I'm sorry for your victim now
I feel sorry for the person you are currently cheating on me with
'Cause soon his head like mine will bow
He will eventually be in the same position as me - heartbroken and defeated
You'll use his heart, but all in vain
You will use his heart as you did mine, but it will be in vain because you will never be satisfied
And someday say, you win again
You will someday tell him that he has lost, just as you have said to me
You have no heart, you have no shame
You are heartless and shameless for cheating on me and hurting others
You take true love and give the blame
You take real love and put the blame on others for the failure of the relationship
I guess that I should not complain
I should not be complaining, since I am still in love with you despite your infidelity
I love you still, you win again
Despite everything, I still love you, and once again, you emerge victorious
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr
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