“At the end of the day, you can’t fool your own blood, you are who you are,” Nashville singer/songwriter Sam Williams shares with American Songwriter in reference to his latest single, “You Can’t Fool Your Own Blood.”
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Written by Sam, Mary Gauthier and Jaimee Harris, the powerfully honest tune gives the listener a look into a story that evokes extremely real and passionate emotions right from the first line—”I think momma’s drinkin’ again.”
“It’s truthful … The song’s mostly about not lying to the ones you love and not creating negative patterns,” says Sam. “It’s also kind of about realization and understanding yourself well enough to know that there’re certain things you don’t need to do and certain things you have a responsibility to do.”
Coming from such a legendary family, who has strong roots in country music, it might seem obvious for Sam to follow in the footsteps of his famous grandfather, Hank Williams, Sr,. and father, Hank Williams, Jr. But it wasn’t that easy for the 22-year-old. Williams didn’t always know that he wanted to go down the same career path. Music eventually become a bigger part of his life. And just as his father did before him, Sam wants to stand out on his own.
“I think it was something that was always kind of buried underneath and destined to come out,” Williams reveals. “But the legacy of my grandfather, with how much he did in such a short amount of time and then passing away so young, I think that it was really scary for me, as a kid, to know how many people knew my family’s music. As time went on, I just kind of grew into knowing that I have my own things to say and I want to carry it on in a graceful way.”
Growing up in a quiet town in Tennessee, Williams’ conventional upbringing kept him out of the lively music scene that often comes with having a famous father and grandfather. It wasn’t until later, that Williams found a love for playing music.
“I wasn’t always that adamant about it, but it found me and I’m glad it did,” Williams says.
As in many of his songs, including “You Can’t Fool Your Own Blood,” Williams doesn’t write about the common topics— truck beds, whiskey or partying—that are usually heard in country music lyrics. “There’s enough people doing that,” he says. Instead, the Tennessee native taps into his emotions to find the right words.
“I’d like to be a male in country music that subscribes to emotions and talks about real life things,” he adds.
When it comes to his career, Sam hopes to achieve one major goal—to be his own person and try to avoid listening to other people’s preconceived notions about who he is and his music.
“You shouldn’t allow people to pigeonhole you or tell you who you are,” Williams says. “I hope people take away from it that there’s beauty in pain and we’re all more alike that we think.I hope it inspires people to be themselves and to keep growing no matter what.”
Listen to “You Can’t Fool Your Own Blood ” below:
Photo by Jacqueline Day
