Finding Inspiration – Hank and Jimmie

Hank and Jimmie. At one time, two of the most recognized first names not just in country music but in music, period. There were Jimmies that followed – such as Jimmie Davis who had a wonderful recording career before going on to become Governor of Louisiana. His early recordings, available on Bear Family Records, are definitely worth searching out. They are much more blues-infused than his most recognizable copyright, “You Are My Sunshine,” and feature Oscar Woods on lap-style slide guitar. There’s been plenty of Hanks too – including two direct namesakes, Hank Jr, and Hank III – and others such as Hank Thompson. Before Mr. Thompson made a career of drinking songs such as “A Six Pack to Go,” he had a chart-topping hit with “The Wild Side of Life,” which stayed at number one for fifteen straight weeks. But, the originals, Hank and Jimmie, as discussed here, changed the world. And, both left behind amazing discographies. So, rather than focus on albums – since there weren’t albums as we know them while they were alive – I’m going to look at songs that have inspired me. As with the previous Finding Inspiration essays, I hope these songs serve as a jumping off point for more exploration.

Hank Williams “Lost Highway”

This was not written by Hank but it is, to me, one of Hank’s greatest hits. It has all the elements that made his music what it was – tremendous interplay between the lap steel and standard guitars, it swings like crazy, and is beautifully melodic in its telling of the story. The opening guitar lick is as identifiable as the lyrics or title. It also includes one of my favorite guitar solos – played by Zeb Turner – in a Hank tune. Written by blind country singer Leon Payne, in 1948, while he was hitchhiking from Texas to California, “Lost Highway” is a beautiful sonic snapshot of the Drifting Cowboys and Nashville, Tennessee in 1949.

Jimmie Rodgers “Memphis Yodel”

While all of Jimmie’s blue yodels are similar, this one stands out as the personal favorite. It’s a little slower. It’s a little grittier. It’s a little more Memphis, and that’s completely okay in my book. Called both The Father of Country Music and The Singing Brakeman, Jimmie had a serious dose of blues in all his music, the blue yodels most obviously show that influence. With so many artists, you can easily trace their influences, their roots – they’ll mostly be happy to tell you, too – with Jimmie and the Carter Family (who he is closely associated with in history) along with Hank, they were the influence. They were the start of something greater.

Hank Williams “Long Gone Lonesome Blues”

There are so many blues songs by Ol’ Hank, how do you pick one? This essay was almost all about Hank’s blues songs, and his mentoring by Rufus “Tee Tot” Payne, a black musician from Greenville, Alabama. I dig the lap steel and standard guitar harmony lines in a nod to western swing. And, that signature yodel, debuted on the Grand Ol’ Opry with “Lovesick Blues,” is, for me, in its finest form here. One thing that no one talks about when they discuss Hank or Jimmie is their guitar work. They were both incredibly strong rhythm players, driving their songs in their individual styles, which both lope along beautifully, propelling the songs with unassuming grace and energy.

Jimmie Rodgers “Miss the Mississippi and You”

This song was written by Bill Halley. Jimmie was the first to record it – releasing it in 1932. Like an impressive chunk of Jimmie’s catalogue, it has been interpreted by many. The melody’s beautiful languidness smacks of a hot, humid southern night along a river somewhere, sometime. It is more harmonically advanced than most of what we think of as country music from this period but it’s just gorgeous. There are certain songs that I find incredibly “southern” in nature, in feel – and this is one of them. It is one of those songs that can easily put you in mind of time and place without being there.

Hank Williams “I’ll Never Get Out of this World Alive”

I’m opting for this one today simply for these lines: “These shabby shoes I’m wearing all the time / Is full of holes and nails / And brother if I stepped on a worn out dime / I bet a nickel I could tell you if it was heads or tails.” Hank is quoted as saying if you can’t finish a song in twenty minutes, then throw it away. If he truly wrote that fast with these results, he was obviously tapped into something that the rest of the world is missing. About thirty years ago, I acquired a book by Don Cusic, Hank Williams: The Complete Lyrics, which is only Hank’s songs of the material of others he chose to record. It’s an inspirational read – filled with common occurrences turned into poetic genius, which is why he earned the nickname The Hillbilly Shakespeare.

Jimmie Rodgers “Waiting for a Train”

I’m a sucker for train songs – plain and simple – and this might be the granddaddy of them all. Jimmie drew on his time spent as a brakeman – primarily on the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad line. “Waiting for a Train” gets at the same emotions, same discussions, the same times that Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck chronicled in their work exploring the hobo life during the Great Depression. The influences of the times and his travels play heavily here. A vocal harmony imitating a train whistle starts the song. That leads us to a Dixieland cornet and band that appear again in the middle section. It’s a wonderful juxtaposition of influences and sounds with the acoustic guitar and dobro against the Dixieland band. Once again, Jimmie taps into something much more sophisticated here – that only a traveling life would have afforded him.

Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers led painfully short and tragic lives but, in their songs, they left us with treasures untold. The body of work they both created in such a short amount of time is, frankly, astounding. It is my hope that generations to come will continue to enjoy and find great inspiration in their work.

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My playlist for Saturday, July 25, 2026 on WICN 90.5fm in Worcester, Massachusetts, and globally at wicn.org:

Frank Stokes “Downtown Blues”

Clarence Carter “Snatchin’ It Back”

Clarence Carter “That Old Time Feeling”

Doris Duke “The Feeling is Right”

Jimmy Hughes “Steal Away”

Percy Sledge “Take Time to Know Her”

Candi Staton “Heart on a String”

Bobby “Blue” Bland “Today I Started Loving You Again”

Percy Sledge “Today I Started Loving You Again”

B.B. King “Night Life”

Mississippi Joh Hurt “Waiting for a Train”

Al Green “Funny How Time Slips Away”

Tommy Ridgley “Jam Up”

Bill Doggett and His Combo “Honky Tonk, Pt. 1”

Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown “Okie Dokie Stomp”

Lee Allen “Walkin’ with Mr. Lee”

Sil Austin “Walkin’ and Talkin’”

The Mar Keys “Last Night”