I’ve loved Hank Williams’ music all my life. My favorite songs include, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, “There’ll Be No Teardrops Tonight”, “Ramblin’ Man”, “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love With You”, and, to paraphrase Mark Twain, the last one I listened to.
But I’m amazed at how many people say the song “Cold Cold Heart” is their favorite. I don’t dislike it, but I never cared much for it. The melody is ‘schmaltzy’, and doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
I recently read the excellent biography of the Carter Family, “Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone”, which tells the origins of the song: Hank wrote it following his first wife’s cruel rebuke to him after she landed in the hospital after a botched abortion. Hank later bemoaned to the Carters, “I’m married to a woman with a cold, cold heart”, and soon after brought out this song. I usually like profoundly sad songs, and that’s as sad as it gets. But it didn’t change my mind about about CCH. The fact that the lyrics try to make it sound like a former love hardened his wife’s heart, when it had more to do with Hank’s cheating, drinking and dope use, didn’t help.
I welcome any who love this song to tell me why they do. Win me over.
And any others love Hank Williams but “lukewarm” (heh heh) about CCH (that’s actually two puns, which I’m sure someone will explain)? Weigh in.
To tie it together, “lukewarm about cold cold heart” is two puns:
Hank Williams recorded some early songs as “Luke the Drifter”; and
‘Cold’ vs. ‘lukewarm’; ha ha. AuntiePam, before I read “Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone” (by Mark Zwonitzer), I knew Hank Williams was a drunk, morphine-shooting, cheating SOB.
I didn’t think I could have a lower opinion about him. But reading about how he fled the scene after coming really close to murdering June Carter did the trick.
Still an absolutely towering musical genius though. Sometimes, the truth sucks.[ul]
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It’s not my fave Hank Williams song, but, is a good straightforward lament.
Read the lyrics here He’s stating that a past love/episode in his beloved’s life is preventing them from becoming closer:
That doesn’t sound like he was the one responsible for his lovers travails after the “botched abortion”. It sounds like that was before his time with her, and as he tried to comfort her, couldn’t get past her inability to open up to him, and it pains him immensely. Her cold heart is very painful to him, not so much as rejecting him, but as a wall towards a love he wants to express. It’s sad, but compassionate.
That scenario is pretty common, to have a frustrating situation from a lover’s past stonewall a possible developing love, so it hits the hearts of many listeners. Hank was so good at that, in voicing the Aching capacity of heart.
Yikes, just read the thread closer, forgive me. That’s what I get for being “tarred” after the workweek…obviously some issues with Hank’s story on the song. I’ll try to research it more in depth. Can ask Bill Malone, who is good with Country Music details.
Of course it doesn’t sound like Hank was responsible: we’re only hearing his version of events. And the ‘Hillbilly Shakespeare’ could make it sound like he was doing his best to make things work (when not screwing pretty fans and shooting at random Carter sisters). Recall the lyric: “In anger unkind words are said” – Nixon couldn’t have put it better.
To be fair, Audrey appears to have been a bit of a spendthrift. I’m sure Hank attracted his share of them (although Audrey married him before he was much of a meal ticket).
This is drawing me in – I don’t know whether the song has a hidden phoniness that’s always repulsed me, or if Audrey was a trainwreck who soured a young Hank on committment.