Long Gone Lonesome Blues

Album

Single

Label

MGM Records

Genre

Traditional Country

Media Type

45m

Duration

2:40

Composer(s)

Hank Williams

Entered Chart

Feb 1, 1964

Peak Date

Mar 21, 1964

Released

March 1950

Recorded

January 9, 1950

Catalog #

13208

B-Side

My Son Calls Another Man Daddy"

In his songs, Hank Williams was often despondent, so lonesome he could cry. In "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" it's so bad he thinks about ending it all, but he can't even do that right. He jumps in a river, but it's run dry, so he's on his way to look for another more suitable for drowning. We get the sense that by the time he finds it, he'll be feeling better and decide to just go home. As usual, an unfaithful woman is causing his ills. She's long gone and he's lonesome blue. Williams had the song's title in mind when he went on a trip with his fishing buddy, the songwriter Vic McAlpin. Over many years of friendship, the two frequently wrote songs together but would trade sole writing credits back-and-forth so the collaboration went unknown to the general public. On the trip in question, they went to where the Tennessee River feeds Kentucky Lake. Williams was gazing into the water trying to think of lyrics to go with his song title. Annoyed at his friend's distraction, McAlpin asked, "You come here to fish or watch the fish swim by?" Williams excitedly took McAlpin's offhand remark for the first line of the song: "I went down to the river to watch the fish swim by." "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" was Williams' second #1 on the Country chart, following "Lovesick Blues." It stayed at the top for five weeks and then lasted 16 more at lower positions. The two songs sound very similar, which probably isn't coincidence. Colin Escott, Hank Williams' biographer, suspected he did this intentionally to score another hit. This song was an influence on "The River" by Bruce Springsteen and "The Ledge" by the Replacements. Hank Williams Jr. covered the song on his 1964 debut album, Hank Williams Jr. Sings the Songs of Hank Williams. His version hit #67 on the Hot 100 and #5 on the Country chart. Dennis Robbins' 1986 cover hit #63. He released it as the fourth single from his debut album, The First of Me. Willams recorded the song in Castle Studio in Nashville. Many of the musicians who played on the song were or would become notable, including Don Helms on steel guitar, Jerry Rivers on fiddle, and Ernie Newton on bass.

I went down to the river to watch the fish swim by
But I got to the river so lonesome I wanted to die, Oh Lord!
And then I jumped in the river, but the doggone river was dry
She's long gone, and now I'm lonesome blue

I had me a woman who couldn't be true
She made me for my money and she made me blue
A man needs a woman that he can lean on
But my leanin' post is done left and gone
She's long gone, and now I'm lonesome blue

I'm gonna find me a river, one that's cold as ice
And when I find me that river, Lord I'm gonna pay the price, Oh Lord!
I'm goin' down in it three times, but Lord I'm only comin' up twice
She's long gone, and now I'm lonesome blue

She told me on Sunday she was checkin' me out
Long about Monday she was nowhere about
And here it is Tuesday, ain't had no news
I got them gone but not forgotten blues
She's long gone, and now I'm lonesome blue