“Your Cheatin’ Heart” is one of those songs that defines classic country music.
Steel guitar, heartbreak, heavy twang, and vocal slides as the lyrics are belted out.
Hank Williams wrote the song in 1952. He got the inspiration for the lyrics while describing his ex-wife as a ‘cheating heart’ to his current fiancée, on a car ride from Nashville, Tennessee, to Shreveport, Louisiana.
Thus, “Your Cheatin’ Heart” was born…
Once he was back from the trip, he recorded the tune at Castle Studio in Nashville, and it was released the following year in 1953.
The song was an instant hit among Williams’ fans. It topped the Billboard country chart for six consecutive weeks, and is named on Rolling Stone’s 500 Great Songs of All Time.
The original track.
When Hank Williams Sr. was growing older, and Jr. started his career, it was no secret that Jr. covered a lot of his dad’s music. The familiarities of their voices took Hank Williams Jr. very far.
Jr. carried on his father’s legacy so well by covering his greatest hits… although, the pressure to be like his father nearly drove him mad.
In 1969 Jr. took the stage of the Buck Owens Show to sing some tunes and included “Your Cheatin’ Heart” into his set.
If you close your eyes, you can barely tell if it is Jr. or Sr. singing… they are that damn similar.
Today, Hank Williams Jr.’s sound is still rooted in the classic country sound his father instilled but now houses rock and blues influence. His latest album, Rich White Honky Blues, showcases this sound effortlessly with clever and catchy lyrics.
Hank William’s Jr. is a living legend built on his past and present music.
“.44 Special Blues”
“Rich White Honky Blues”
