Your Cheatin' Heart

Album

Single

Label

Dot Records

Genre

Easy Listening

Media Type

45

Duration

2:19

Composer(s)

Hank Williams Sr.

Entered Chart

Apr 27, 1959

Peak Date

May 4, 1959

Released

Mar 1959

Recorded

Unknown

Catalog #

Dot 45-15936

B-Side

Lights Out

Original Artist

Hank Williams

"Your Cheatin' Heart" is a song written and recorded by country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1952. It is regarded as one of country's most important standards. Williams was inspired to write the song while driving with his fiancée from Nashville, Tennessee, to Shreveport, Louisiana. After describing his first wife Audrey Sheppard as a "cheatin' heart", in minutes he dictated the lyrics to Billie Jean Jones. Produced by Fred Rose, Williams recorded the song at his last session at Castle Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, on September 23. "Your Cheatin' Heart" was released in January 1953. Propelled by Hank Williams' recent death during a trip to a New Year's concert in Canton, Ohio, the song became an instant success. It topped Billboard's Country & Western chart for six weeks, with over a million units sold. The success of the song continued with covers by other artists. Joni James' version reached number two on Billboard's Most Played in Jukeboxes the same year, while Ray Charles' 1962 version reached number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 13 on the UK Singles Chart. The song ranked 213 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and was ranked number 5 on Country Music Television's 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.

Instrumental