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| (Montgomery, Alabama Statue) |
From the get-go, Hank Williams, Sr. was unique. His birth name, Hiram, means “highborn” in Hebrew. According to Wikipedia, he was named after King Hiram I of Tyre. This Phoenician king reigned from 980 to 947 BCE, and was an ally of Israel’s Kings David and Solomon. In fact, Hiram I helped to build the First Temple of Jerusalem by sending Solomon “architects, workmen, and cedar wood.”
Unfortunately, Williams was also born with another unique characteristic – one that would cause him pain and suffering for the rest of his short life. This condition was spina bifida occulta, which some studies suggest can lead to prolonged back pain. Williams complained of back pain throughout much of his life, and was prescribed powerful drugs such as chloral hydrate and morphine to help ease it. These sedatives, plus Williams’ habit of self-medicating with alcohol, may have eventually led to his early demise at age 29.
As he slipped further and further into alcoholism, Williams was well aware of the dichotomy between spiritual ideals expressed in songs such as “I Saw the Light” and the life he was often actually leading. Poetspath.com explains how this dichotomy spawned Williams’ "Luke the Drifter"
persona: Early in his career, he developed the habit of singing preaching type songs under the name of “Luke the Drifter,” a nom de plume for an idealized character who went across the country preaching the gospel, and doing good deeds while Hank Williams, the drunkard, cheated on women, and was cheated on by them in return…
Poetspath.com also reports that these “Luke the Drifter” songs were considered to be “recitative morality fables.” One such song, The Funeral, was especially popular with black audiences because it depicted the church funeral of a black child. The ending of that song reflects the theme of many a “Luke the Drifter” admonition: So my poor detached mourners let your hearts with Jesus rest, And don’t go to criticizin’ the one that knows the best, He has give us many comforts, he has the right to take away, To the Lord be praised in glory forever let us pray.
Resources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Williams
http://www.poetspath.com/exhibits/troubadours_hank.html
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/hank-williams/funeral.html
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/I-SAW-THE-LIGHT-lyrics-Hank-Williams/48E075750A5FA2394825698100090D64
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spina_bifida
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Hiram_I
Copyright September 17, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
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