The Controversy Behind “One of the Most Classic American Songs Ever Written”—and Why Some Claim Hank Williams Didn’t Write It

Hank Williams‘ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” helped make modern country music what it is today. Labeled “one of the most classic American songs ever written” by KD Lang, this Williams cut was one of the first iconic songs to emerge from the genre in the late 1940s. It catapulted Williams to fame and remains a powerful song many decades after its initial release. However, there is some controversy surrounding this song. It’s never been substantiated, and is likely heretical to speak of for Williams fans, but there is a pervasive rumor that Williams bought the lyrics for this song from another writer. Find out more about the mysterious teenager who, some say, never got credit for this country masterpiece.

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The Rumored Mystery Writer Behind Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”

As the widely accepted story goes, Williams wrote this song as a spoken-word piece before putting it to music to make this mammoth hit.

Fellow musicians Mac Wiseman and Bill Monroe said they were present when Williams wrote this song. Their alibi makes it hard to buy into the theory that Williams bought the lyrics. Yet some historians and even fans support the counterargument.

Paul Gilley

It was music journalist Chet Flippo and Kentucky historian W. Lynn Nickell who proliferated the theory that Williams bought the lyrics from a 21-year-old, little-known songwriter, Paul Gilley. According to their findings, Gilley gave the lyrics to the country legend in an upfront sale in Nashville, with the agreement that he would not receive any credit for the song.

There are several songs Gilley has been definitely linked to. Despite Flippo and Nickell’s findings, there has never been any substantiated evidence to link him to “I’m So Lonesome”. Gilley died at 27 from drowning. His mother burned much of his poetry after the fact, making it difficult to prove his authorship of this Williams classic.

The theory also says that Gilley penned Williams’ “Cold Cold Heart”, though there is no definitive evidence of that either. At any rate, these songs will always be considered Williams’. This is not the only story of songs trading hands without credit, and like all the others, it does little to remove the song’s reputation from the artist who eventually sang it.

However this song came to be, we’re happy it did. As are the millions of country fans globally. Williams’ unique voice gave this song its fame. Whether he wrote it or not is ultimately of little consequence to its stature in the genre. Revisit “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” below.

(Photo by Underwood Archives/Shutterstock)