"Long Gone Lonesome Blues" is a 1950 song by Hank Williams. The song was Hank Williams' second number one on the Country & Western chart. "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" stayed on the charts for twenty-one weeks, with five weeks at the top of the Country & Western chart. The B-side of the song, entitled "My Son Calls Another Man Daddy," peaked at number nine on the Country and Western chart.
Background
"Long Gone Lonesome Blues" is quite similar in form and style to Williams' previous #1 hit "Lovesick Blues." Biographer Colin Escott speculates that Hank deliberately utilized the similar title, tempo, and yodels because, although he had scored five Top 5 hits since "Lovesick Blues" had topped the charts, he had not had another #1. Williams had been carrying the title around in his head for a while but it was not until he went on a fishing trip with songwriter Vic McAlpin that the inspiration to write the song took hold: As he sometimes did, Williams bought out McAlpin's meager share in the song and took sole credit. The tune was recorded in Nashville at Castle Studio with Fred Rose producing on January 9, 1950 and featured Jerry Rivers, Don Helms, Bob McNett, Jack Shook, and Ernie Newton. The song's bluesy guitar intro, high falsettos, and Hank's suicidal yet irresistibly catchy lyrics, sent it soaring to the top of the country charts on March 25, 1950.
Cover versions
Mack Vickery recorded a rockabilly version of the song under the name Hollis Champion.
In 1964, Hank Williams Jr. made his debut on the country chart with his own version of the song, which peaked at number five on the country chart.
Leon Redbone recorded it for his 1988 album No Regrets.
The song was parodied in the 2000 SpongeBob SquarePants episode "Texas", renamed "Texas Song" and sung by the character Sandy Cheeks which featured Junior Brown at the end.
In 2001, Sheryl Crow recorded the song for Timeless: Hank Williams Tribute.
