The Hillbilly Shakespeare: Hank Williams' Heartbreak Hits

By Lane Vaughn

On January 10, the Opry is returning to its most famous former home—Ryman Auditorium—to honor one of the most influential figures in country music, the incomparable Hank Williams. Opry member Terri Clark, plus Hank’s grandchildren Holly, Hilary, and Sam Williams, will be taking the stage in tribute.

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Often regarded as country music’s first superstar, Hank remains one of the genre’s most influential figures. Known for his plaintive voice, hard-spun storytelling, honky-tonk twang, and simple, heart-wrenching lyrics, Hank set the standard for contemporary country songwriting and artistry.

Born into humble beginnings in southern Alabama, Hank was earning his supper with his songs by the age of fourteen. At only 25 years old, his 1949 Grand Ole Opry debut was one of legend. Hank electrified the Ryman audience with his wildly popular radio hit “Lovesick Blues,” so much so that they called him out for a shocking six encores before being implored to let the evening’s other performers continue.

Hank’s songs paved the way for every heartbreak anthem that rings out on stages and in honky-tonk corners today. His influence fills the writer’s rooms where cheatin’ hearts, lonesome roads, and lovesick cowboys still star in the stories country music tells.

Before the curtain rises on the very stage where he received those encores more than 75 years ago, we’re looking back at some of the most heartbreaking lyrics ever penned by the Hillbilly Shakespeare.

 

1. “The silence of a falling star / Lights up a purple sky / And as I wonder where you are / I’m so lonesome I could cry”

Released in 1949, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” was inspired by Hank’s tumultuous relationship with his first wife, Audrey Shepperd. It’s filled with beautiful, heartbreaking metaphors as Hank’s voice cries out like a train whistle over the simple track.

 

2. “Your cheatin’ heart will pine someday / and crave the love you threw away”

Hank’s 1953 single “Your Cheatin’ Heart” is a definitive country track, released just days after Hank tragically passed away at 29. This bluesy anthem tells a story of regret, loneliness, and the feeling of being too little, too late.

 

3. "In anger, unkind words are said / That make the teardrops start / Why can’t I free your doubtful mind / and melt your cold, cold, heart?”

A B-Side track released in 1951, “Cold, Cold Heart” hit No. 1 in the country charts in just a few weeks, overtaking the A-Side track it was released alongside, “Dear John.” It earned Hank some cross-genre popularity and remains one of his most covered songs.

 

4. “The darkness is falling, the sky has turned gray / A hound in the distance is starting to bey / I wonder, I wonder what she's thinking of / Forsaken, forgotten without any love.”

Hank wrote “Alone And Forsaken” and recorded a demo sometime in 1948 or 1949, but it wasn’t released until after his death. Set in A Minor and featuring only Hank’s vocals and an acoustic guitar, the song has a sparse, haunting quality. Its darker, lonesome feeling made it a perfect fit for the soundtrack of the hit video game and HBO TV show The Last of Us, set in a post-apocalyptic United States.

 

5. “Last night I walked the floor / And the night before / You were on my lonely mind / It seems my life is through / And I'm so doggone blue / You are on my lonely mind.”

Written by Hank Williams in 1951, “There's A Tear In My Beer” was first recorded by “Big Bill” Lister. Over 40 years later, Hank’s original vocal demo was given to his son, Hank Williams Jr., who added his own vocals and released the track as a father-son duet in 1988. The music video uses electronic merging technology to blend archival footage of Hank Sr. with new footage of Hank Jr., making it appear as though they are performing together.

 

Heartbreak never sounded so good.

Turn up a Hank song, raise a glass, and join us on January 10 to honor a true legend.

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