Song #7: Hank Williams - "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive"

Song #7: Hank Williams - "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" (1952)

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"Everything's against me and it's got me down; if I jumped in a river, I would probably drown."

The irony of Hank Williams' "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive" is a soul-crushing one, as it was the final single of Williams released while he was alive, and managed to top the charts posthumously, after his death on New Years Day 1953. The song details a down-on-his-luck man, who has lost his woman, his luck, and his self-esteem, saying that he can struggle and strive for better, but still winds up having nothing and, in turn, will allegedly never get out of this world alive.

For such a dour song topic, new listeners will be surprised at the upbeat tempo the ballad carries, which easily makes it one of my favorite Williams' songs. Williams had so many songs that detailed pain so somberly and effectively that you felt you yourself were experiencing such pain, as you listened to the lyrics of the songs being sung and absorbed the music and the careful flow of his songs. "I'll Never Get Out of This World" alive sounds deceptively positive, judging by the tempo, before it hits you with some serious sadness, but manages to captivate and enchant throughout the two minutes it plays.

This was another Williams song that came into my life late my eighth grade year, where Williams' music was touching that sentimental part of my soul that I really didn't know I had. Thanks to my loving grandfather, who wound up schooling me in classic country, particularly Williams, not only was I up to date on an amazing singer, but I got an intricate lesson in where the music I loved originated; that's something we should expect from fans of particular genres.

Give "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7FQeFOBtBk