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Hank Williams

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

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Song Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Hank Williams wrote so many classics that it's hard to single one out that's better than the next, but "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" holds a special place in his catalog. A mournful tale of loneliness, the song contains some of the most evocative lines Williams ever wrote: The opening couplet of "Hear that lonesome whippoorwill/He sounds too blue to fly" is a model of simple, elegant poetry. He married the lyric to a melody that is equally simple and graceful, resulting in the kind of song that sounds like it was never written -- it was just always there. That quality is the reason why the song has been performed by all kinds of musicians, each shaping the song in their own style and often delivering a unique interpretation. Even within the scope of country music, there are a number of unique readings -- Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and Charlie Rich's versions have different emotional tones -- but Al Green's soulful interpretation was moving, as was Cassandra Wilson's jazzy take. Williams pulled off a neat trick writing a song that's undeniably personal, yet universal enough to make it convincing -- even personal -- in the hands of other musicians.

Appears On

Year Artist/Album Label Time AllMusic Rating
Hank Williams' Greatest Hits 1961
Hank Williams
Hank Williams' Greatest Hits
Polydor / Polygram 2:43
No Image 1961
Hank Williams
I'm Blue Inside
Polydor 0:00
No Image 1963
Hank Williams
The Very Best of Hank Williams [Polygram]
Polygram
No Image 1965
Hank Williams
The Hank Williams Story [MGM]
MGM
The Legend Lives Anew (Hank Williams with Strings) 1966
Hank Williams
The Legend Lives Anew (Hank Williams with Strings)
Universal Special Products / PSM 2:49
No Image 1969
Hank Williams
The Essential Hank Williams
MGM
No Image 1970
Hank Williams / Hank Williams, Jr.
24 Karat Hits
MGM
No Image 1970
Hank Williams
24 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits
MGM 2:45
No Image 1973
Hank Williams
The Legend of Hank Williams in Song and Story
MGM
24 Greatest Hits 1976
Hank Williams
24 Greatest Hits
Mercury 2:45
40 Greatest Hits 1978
Hank Williams
40 Greatest Hits
Polydor / Mercury 2:45
No Image 1986
Hank Williams
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (March 1949 - August 1949): Vol. IV
Polydor / Mercury 0:00
No Image 1987
Hank Williams
Grand Ole Country Classics
Pair
20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits 1990
Hank Williams
20 of Hank Williams' Greatest Hits
Chronicles / PolyGram 2:45
Lonesome Blues 1992
Hank Williams
Lonesome Blues
Spm 2:45
The Original Singles Collection...Plus 1992
Hank Williams
The Original Singles Collection...Plus
Mercury 2:45
Alone & Forsaken 1995
Hank Williams
Alone & Forsaken
Mercury Nashville / Mercury 2:45
The Hits, Vol. 2 1995
Hank Williams
The Hits, Vol. 2
Mercury 2:45
Commemorative Collection [Box] 1997
Hank Williams
Commemorative Collection [Box]
Valley Entertainment 5:03
The Complete Hank Williams 1998
Hank Williams
The Complete Hank Williams
Mercury Nashville / Mercury 2:45
Lovesick Blues [Country Stars] 1999
Hank Williams
Lovesick Blues [Country Stars]
Country Stars 2:39
No Image 1999
Various Artists
Classic Country: 1941-1951
Time Line Productions 2:46
Honky Tonkin' [Pearl] 2000
Hank Williams
Honky Tonkin' [Pearl]
Pearl Flapper / Pearl 2:48
Grand Ole Opry 75th Anniversary, Vol. 1 2000
Various Artists
Grand Ole Opry 75th Anniversary, Vol. 1
MCA Nashville / MCA 2:47
Hank Williams [Castle] 2001
Hank Williams
Hank Williams [Castle]
St. Clair 2:42
The Roots of Elvis Presley 2001
Various Artists
The Roots of Elvis Presley
Catfish 2:47
The Rockin' Roots of Johnny Cash 2001
Various Artists
The Rockin' Roots of Johnny Cash
Catfish 2:48
Blues Come Around 2001
Hank Williams
Blues Come Around
Catfish 2:48
The Roots of the Grateful Dead [Catfish] 2001
Various Artists
The Roots of the Grateful Dead [Catfish]
Catfish 0:00
His Greatest Hits, Vol. 2: Long Gone Lonesome Blues 2001
Hank Williams
His Greatest Hits, Vol. 2: Long Gone Lonesome Blues
Jasmine Records 2:47
No Image 2002
Hank Williams
Long Gone Daddy
Snapper / Recall (UK) 2:48
Cheating Hearts 2002
Hank Williams
Cheating Hearts
404 Music Group 2:51
Hillbilly Hero [4 CD Set] 2002
Hank Williams
Hillbilly Hero [4 CD Set]
Proper Box 2:48
Best of Hank Williams, Vol. 1 2002
Hank Williams
Best of Hank Williams, Vol. 1
Mastersound 2:47
Long Gone Lonesome Blues 2002
Hank Williams
Long Gone Lonesome Blues
Country Stars 2:48
Ultimate Collection [Mercury/UTV] 2002
Hank Williams
Ultimate Collection [Mercury/UTV]
Mercury 2:47
Country, Bluegrass and Mountain Music 2002
Various Artists
Country, Bluegrass and Mountain Music
Rerooted 2:51
Country Lovin' [Delta] 2002
Various Artists
Country Lovin' [Delta]
Delta Distribution 2:37
Songs That Made Elvis Famous 2002
Various Artists
Songs That Made Elvis Famous
Simply The Best (Netherlands) 2:46
Greatest Country Singer of All Time 2002
Hank Williams
Greatest Country Singer of All Time
K-Tel Distribution 2:47
Long Gone Lonesome Blues: Hillbilly Hero 2002
Hank Williams
Long Gone Lonesome Blues: Hillbilly Hero
Proper Sales & Dist. 2:48
48 Original Recordings 2003
Hank Williams
48 Original Recordings
Prism Entertainment / Prism Leisure 2:47
Moanin' the Blues 1947-1951 2004
Hank Williams
Moanin' the Blues 1947-1951
Frémeaux & Associés 2:48
Artist's Choice: Willie Nelson 2004
Willie Nelson
Artist's Choice: Willie Nelson
Hear Music / UMG 2:48
Elvis Inspiration 2004
Various Artists
Elvis Inspiration
Boulevard Vintage 2:47
No Image 2004
Hank Williams
The Best of Hank Williams [Northquest]
Northquest 2:47
Hank Williams [2004] 2004
Hank Williams
Hank Williams [2004]
Kala International 2:47
Hank Williams [Direct Source 3 CD] 2005
Hank Williams
Hank Williams [Direct Source 3 CD]
Direct Source 2:47
The Hillbilly Shakespeare 2005
Hank Williams
The Hillbilly Shakespeare
American Legends 0:00
The Very Best of Hank Williams [Legacy] 2005
Hank Williams
The Very Best of Hank Williams [Legacy]
Legacy 2:52
No More Darkness 2005
Hank Williams
No More Darkness
Trikont 2:47
Gold 2005
Hank Williams
Gold
Mercury Nashville 2:47
The Definitive Real Country Collection 2005
Maverick Country
The Definitive Real Country Collection
Chrome Dreams 2:46
Settin' the Woods on Fire 2005
Hank Williams
Settin' the Woods on Fire
Recall (UK) 2:47
Turn Back the Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection 2005
Hank Williams
Turn Back the Years: The Essential Hank Williams Collection
Mercury Nashville 2:46
Solid Gold Country [Union Square] 2005
Various Artists
Solid Gold Country [Union Square]
Union Square Music 2:48
Hall of Fame 2006
Hank Williams
Hall of Fame
Laserlight 2:37
You Win Again: 26 Great Original Recording [Box Set] 2006
Hank Williams
You Win Again: 26 Great Original Recording [Box Set]
Prism Entertainment 2:47
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection, Vol. 2 2006
Hank Williams
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection, Vol. 2
MCA Nashville / Mercury 2:47
Very Best of Hank Williams [Mastersong] 2006
Hank Williams
Very Best of Hank Williams [Mastersong]
Mastersong 2:47
Country Music Legends 2006
Hank Williams
Country Music Legends
Castle Pulse 2:48
Essential Guide to American Roots 2006
Various Artists
Essential Guide to American Roots
Essential Guide 2:49
Collected 2006
Hank Williams
Collected
Deluxe 2:47
Hey, Good Lookin [Dynamic Entertainment] 2007
Hank Williams
Hey, Good Lookin [Dynamic Entertainment]
Dynamic 2:47
Famous Country Music Makers 2007
Hank Williams
Famous Country Music Makers
Castle Pulse 0:00
Lifetime of Country Romance Collection 2007
Various Artists
Lifetime of Country Romance Collection
Time / Life Music 2:48
No Image 2008
Hank Williams
BD Rock: Hank Williams
Nocturne Records
The Unreleased Recordings 2008
Hank Williams
The Unreleased Recordings
Time / Life Music 3:16
Bob Dylan Cover to Cover: The Originals 2010
Various Artists
Bob Dylan Cover to Cover: The Originals
Mischief / Music Melon 2:47
Best Of 2011
Hank Williams
Best Of
Mercury / Mercury Nashville 2:45
Icon 2011
Hank Williams
Icon
Mercury Nashville 2:46
The Legend Begins: Rare and Unreleased Recordings 2011
Hank Williams
The Legend Begins: Rare and Unreleased Recordings
Time / Life Music 2:56
Simply Country [2012] 2012
Various Artists
Simply Country [2012]
Simply 2:48
Icon 2 2014
Hank Williams
Icon 2
Mercury Nashville 2:46
Nick Cave: Heard Them Here First 2015
Various Artists
Nick Cave: Heard Them Here First
Ace 2:47
The Complete Singles As & Bs 1947-55 2016
Hank Williams
The Complete Singles As & Bs 1947-55
Acrobat Music 2:48
Epic Americana: Pre-War Blues, Country & Folk 2016
Various Artists
Epic Americana: Pre-War Blues, Country & Folk
Rockbeat Records / Smore 2:48
The Complete Health & Happiness Recordings 2019
Hank Williams
The Complete Health & Happiness Recordings
BMG 2:55
Pictures From Life's Other Side: The Man and His Music In Rare Recordings and Photos [2019 - Remaster] 2020
Hank Williams
Pictures From Life's Other Side: The Man and His Music In Rare Recordings and Photos [2019 - Remaster]
BMG 3:38
A Legendary Collection
Hank Williams
A Legendary Collection
Mercury Nashville 0:00
Country & Western Hits
Various Artists
Country & Western Hits
Membran 2:47
I Saw the Light [Time Life 54 Tracks]
Hank Williams
I Saw the Light [Time Life 54 Tracks]
Time Life
Quarantine Tunes
Various Artists
Quarantine Tunes
Universal 2:45
The Complete Mother's Best Recordings... Plus!
Hank Williams
The Complete Mother's Best Recordings... Plus!
Time Life 5:40
The Country Jukebox Collection
Various Artists
The Country Jukebox Collection
Time Life 2:47
The World's Biggest Country Classics
Various Artists
The World's Biggest Country Classics
Union Square Music / Worlds Biggest 2:47