Song · Hank Williams
“I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry” by Hank Williams
From the album Prodigal Son (2001)
“I'm so Lonesome I Could Cry” by Hank Williams appears on 6 radio countdowns from 5 stations between 2001 and 2023. It was first released in 2001 on the album Prodigal Son. Its best result is #38 on the WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #572 indie & aaa song of all time.
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Hank Williams wrote and cut "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" in 1949, recording it on August 30 at Herzog Studio in Cincinnati, and it's about as bare as heartbreak gets on a country record. He reportedly first meant the words to be spoken rather than sung, the way he'd handled his Luke the Drifter sides, and biographer Colin Escott traced the spark to a title Williams spotted on a list of upcoming MGM releases.
The backing is spare and just right: Zeke Turner on lead guitar, Jerry Byrd's steel guitar and Louis Innis on rhythm, all three from the Pleasant Valley Boys, plus Tommy Jackson's fiddle and Ernie Newton's bass. Williams sings over them in that high, lonesome ache, a voice that sounds like it's already halfway out the door.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 38 | WFPK | WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2000 |
| 2004 | 219 | WXPN | WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) | 885 |
| 2007 | 349 | WTMD | WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time | 897 |
| 2012 | 302 | WYEP | WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown | 500 |
| 2020 | 145 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2023 | 131 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time | 909 |
Also listed as: I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.
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