77 Years Ago, Hank Williams Recorded a Song Inspired by His Marriage That Set the Standard for Country Tear-Jerkers

On August 30, 1949, Hank Williams entered the Herzog Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, and recorded “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.” The song, like many other deeply personal cuts, was inspired by Williams’ tumultuous marriage to Audrey Williams.

Decades later, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is a standard. A long and varied list of artists, including Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the Danish rock band Volbeat, have recorded it. When it was released, though, it was a B-side. MGM Records released it with “My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It” on the A-side. They believed that the uptempo track would get more spins on jukeboxes and more airplay.

While both songs climbed to No. 2 on the country chart, only one has become a beacon for generations of songwriters.

Hank Williams Painted a Vivid Picture of Sadness

When Hank Williams released “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” it stood out from other country singles. Songs with lyrics tied to such personal emotions weren’t the norm at the time. Like generations of songwriters who followed in his footsteps, Williams wrote from the heart. He sang his woes into the world to get them off his chest.

Songs like “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” earned him the nickname “the Hillbilly Shakespeare.” He wasn’t just writing and singing about being sad. He captured the depths of heartache. His sorrow was so great that he couldn’t help but project that pain into the world around him. The moon hid behind a cloud to weep, the robins cry as the leaves wither, and the whippoorwill moans his avian blues into the night sky. Even the train coming down the line sounds lonely to him.

[RELATED: Behind The Song: Hank Williams, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”]

Williams’ delivery and the arrangement behind him make the poetic lyrics even more impactful. We almost didn’t get either of those, though. According to Songfacts, he initially planned to record “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” as a spoken-word piece. Fortunately, though, he was convinced to put the words to a melody.

Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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