Artists Revive Williams’ Unrecorded Songs

When Hank Williams passed away in 1953, he left behind a series of notebooks filled with lyrics. Some songs were only fragments, while others were written in their entirety. These unrecorded songs have recently been revived in The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams. Released earlier this month (10/4), the CD is a collection of previously dormant Williams lyrics recorded for the first time by artists such as Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, Alan Jackson, Patty Loveless, Jack White and other artists influenced or inspired by Williams.

“The history of Hank’s notebooks is as complex as the legend himself. Yet, in the end, what matters most are the songs, and these new works rise from the ether with ghostly relevance. As with his many standards, these new recordings tap straight into the soul of man. This is songwriting at its most artful and most powerful,” said Michael McCall of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams compliments a current exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Until Dec. 31, the exhibit, Family Tradition: The Williams Family Legacy, will be open to the public and features Williams’ original lyric notebooks and other memorabilia.

The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams tracklisting:

1. You’ve Been Lonesome, Too – Alan Jackson
2. The Love That Faded – Bob Dylan
3. How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart? – Norah Jones
4. You Know That I Know – Jack White
5. I’m So Happy I Found You – Lucinda Williams
6. I Hope You Shed a Million Tears – Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell
7. You’re Through Fooling Me – Patty Loveless
8. You’ll Never Again Be Mine – Levon Helm
9. Blue Is My Heart – Holly Williams
10. Oh, Mama, Come Home – Jakob Dylan
11. Angel Mine – Sheryl Crow
12. The Sermon on the Mount – Merle Haggard