Tune Tuesday – Tear In My Beer

101 years ago today, the “Hillbilly Shakespeare” was born.  I am, of course, talking about Hank Williams Sr.

Hank is regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century. He certainly was a prolific songwriter.  He wrote (or co-wrote) 167 songs in his 29 years of life.

Of those songs, 55 singles reached the top 10 on the Billboard Country and Western Best Sellers chart.  Five of those were released after his death and 12 of them hit number one.

The Country Music Hall of Fame has said that Hank “set the agenda for contemporary country songcraft” and the “standard by which success is measured in country music”. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame says that the “straightforward approach” of Williams’ songs, which they deemed “brutally honest” and written in the “language of the everyman”.  That is some high praise for the entertainer.

Hank, the man, is another story. 

From Entertainment Weekly’s TV critic, Ken Tucker:  “despite being a pop-culture titan and rightly dubbed “father of country music”, Hank Williams was possibly the least likable — least warm and sympathetic — figure in modern music. Reeking of self-pity, he wrote and sang some of the greatest woe-is-me music of the century […] Brimming with an anger that regularly spilled over into misogyny, Williams was also a master of spite”.

Even Hank Jr. concurs.  In his autobiography he says: “To hear the tributes, one would think that the entire city [Nashville] took turns kissing Daddy while he was still alive. […] While he was alive, he was despised and envied; after he died, he was some kind of saint.”

How do you pick one song when you have songs like Your Cheating Heart, Lovesick Blues, Cold Cold Heart, Mind Your Own Business, Move It On Over, and I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry to choose from?!  It was difficult, but I opted to go with one of my favorites – Tear In My Beer.

The original version was written by Hank Williams during one of his Nashville recording sessions in the early 50’s.  Hank’s producer was Fred Rose, and he was opposed to mentioning alcohol in songs. Big Bill Lister recorded it first.

Lister, who opened show dates for Williams for a time, needed a drinking song, and Hank gave him the demo he had recorded. Lister recorded it and released it in 1952 on the Capitol label. Lister gave the demo to Wiliams’ son more than 40 years later.

In 1988, Hank Williams Jr. recorded a version that is a duet with his father.  It was created using electronic merging technology. The demo had been recorded with Williams playing the guitar as the sole instrument, his son and his band simply “filled in the blanks” and recorded additional vocals. The music video for the song combined television footage that had existed of Hank Williams performing, onto which also used electronic merging technology, impressed the recordings of Hank Jr., which then made it appear as if he were playing with his father. The video was both a critical and commercial success, and was named Video Of The Year by both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country music.

Here is the demo:

And the amazing duet:

Happy birthday, Hank!