Covering Hank Williams: 5 Exceptional Examples

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He has been dead for 72 years, but Hank Williams is still the biggest influence in country music. “Anybody who writes a personal song, in some ways, traces back to Hank,” says Michael McCall of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Williams was able to incorporate generic themes and contextualize them, making them more relatable for listeners. He also did it with masterful, visceral, efficient lyrics that blended wit, tragedy, and joy. Dubbed “The Hillbilly Shakespeare”, Hank’s brilliance of expression was nothing like people had previously seen. It has not been seen since either.

Williams passed away at the age of 29 from heart failure, instigated by years of self-abuse. However, even before his 1953 death, fellow artists were performing and recording his tunes. The obvious reason why is because they happen to be great songs. But more importantly, Hank’s numbers can be easily adapted to an individual performer and their particular style. His work leaves room for other artists to make their own imprint while preserving the integrity of the writer. There are over a half century of Hank Williams covers. Here are five exceptional examples.    

“Move It On Over” – George Thorogood

Released by Hank in June of 1947, this song holds monumental importance in the history of music. “Move It On Over” was logged at Williams’ first session with MGM. Its style evokes Rockabilly, well before it darkened the doorstep of the teenage masses. And although it was not his debut single, it represents Hank’s first splash on the Billboard charts, peaking at #4. The tune also created the blueprint for what is now referred to as Rock and Roll. In 1978, American rocker George Thorogood included the song on his second studio album, appropriately named Move It On Over. Thorogood’s version features his distinctive blend of blues and heavy rock, one that Williams would assuredly approve of.

“Honky Tonkin’” – Townes Van Zandt

In November 1947, Williams re-recorded “Honky Tonkin’” after relocating to the MGM label. He released it as a single the following April, ultimately settling at #14. Thanks to tunes like this, Hank has influenced generations of generational songwriters. That robust list includes legendary Texas songsmith Townes Van Zandt. Like Williams, Van Zandt was a creative genius who possessed more than his fair share of demons. When music legend Emmylou Harris first encountered Townes onstage, she remembers, “I thought he was the ghost of Hank Williams. With a twist.” In 1972, Van Zandt put his own sublime twist on “Honky Tonkin’”, releasing it on his seminal 1972 album, The Late, Great Townes Van Zandt. Townes died in 1997, 44 years to the day after his hero.     

“I Saw the Light” – Josh Turner

Initially a flop, this tune has accrued the revered status of its author. Williams got the idea for “I Saw the Light” from his mother who was driving him home one night in 1947. As Hank lay drunk in the backseat, his mother announced that she saw the light of a local landmark, signaling that they were almost there. The lyrics utilize robust biblical themes, making it the perfect vehicle for gospel. In 2018, country crooner Josh Turner included the song on a gospel album of his own. The rendition offers some very interesting tempo changes while Turner’s dense baritone only intensifies Williams’ solemn optimism.

“Mind Your Own Business” – Willie Nelson and The Boys

No doubt inspired by Hank’s first marriage; this 1949 tune expounds the beauty of discretion. It was a tumultuous union plagued by rumor and innuendo, but it provided Williams with invaluable song fodder. “Mind Your Own Business” is a fine early example of this. And though the song deals with a heavy subject matter, the rhythm is light and snappy. According to Willie Nelson, “Nobody wrote any better songs than Hank.” In 2017, Nelson released an album consisting of recordings with sons Lukas and Micah. The album includes seven Hank Williams songs with “Mind Your Own Business” being a distinct highlight. It is a dynamic interpretation. Of course, the tune was not written with fathers and sons in mind.

“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” – Elvis Presley

In 2024, Rolling Stone Magazine compiled a list called 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time. Coming in at number four, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” by Hank Williams. From November of 1949, this tune features some of his most striking imagery while the lyrics are a study in somber perfection. Williams’ granddaughter, singer/songwriter Holly Williams, calls it “stunning, beautiful, heartbreaking loneliness.” Elvis Presley called it, “probably the saddest song I ever heard.” Elvis made that declaration just before delivering a commanding performance of Hank’s classic for his 1973 television special, Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite. It remains one of Presley’s finest covers and Williams’ most revered songs.  

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