The Death Of Hank Williams
by Jack Cardwell
"I was raised in the same country Hank came from and
knew him, not intimately, but I had been on stage with
him a time or two. I idolized Hank because he had done
that thing that I wanted to do—he had captured the
feeling of the depression, of the lonesomeness of a man
who had known poverty. He had the ability to use the
same words I use and express things so that people in
New York could know what he was saying and feel what he
was saying. The song that inspired 'The Death Of Hank
Williams' was a song my brother used to sing called
'When Jimmie Rodgers Said Goodbye.'" —Jack Cardwell
The Death Of Hank Williams
Way up in West Virginia, between midnight and dawn
A big blue car was rolling, its wheels they hummed a
song
The headlights shone out through the night to light the
roads so steep
While in the back Hank Williams lay in a deep and
dreamless sleep
He was headed for Ohio to play a show next day
'Cause thousands were waiting to hear him sing and play.
The chauffeur reached into the back and shook the
sleeping man
He said, wake up, wake up, my friend," and took him by
the hand
He tried to wake him up again, then rushed him into town
But the doctor said, "Too late, too late, he's gone to a
better land."
We've lost our greatest folk star this world has ever
known
But though he's gone onto his rest, his songs live on
and on
He wrote songs about the bible and songs about the hills
His songs about the lonesome blues, they gave this world
a thrill
He left us songs of sadness and songs for lovers too
We'll never forget him though he's gone, Hank Williams,
here's to you.
