According to Colin Escott who wrote a biography on Hank / "Here is the cold of the void which will become one of the characteristics of Hank's writing. It is the most often cited example of Hank Williams the mountain poet, but his poetic form comes from the fact that it was originally intended to be spoken and not sung. Acuff-Rose editor Vic McAlpin said that Hank wrote it for his first recitation session scheduled for January 1950, but. at one point he changed his mind "I think old Hank needs to record this," he told McAlpin. Hank was concerned that some lines might sound deliberately artistic and alienate his audience. but, as he so often did, he tried the song on friends, his fellow performers and Fred Rose, and let them convince him that he had excelled.
Veteran Nashville songwriter Jimmy Rule recalls: "One day I was at Acuff-Rose, our joint publisher, and Hank handed me a piece of paper and said, 'Think- you that people will understand what I'm trying to say when It's because he lost the will to live; I'm so alone I could cry. Hank had this lonely streak, and I think a lot of it had to do with his marital problems. I think he wrote it because of a feeling of loneliness that remained very present to him. He would be the natural person to write “I’m So Lonely I Could Cry.”
I made my own video slideshow of this song, using as much footage of Hank singing as I could find. Also included are some images of the musicians who played on this session, Jerry Byrd and Tommy Jackson. I hope people who aren't fans of Hank take the time to explore his music.
Please take the opportunity to connect and share this video with your friends and family if you find it useful.
