10.

Ballad Of Hank Williams

Don Helms

© Tree Pub, BMI

with Don Helms

Don tell us how it really was when you was workin' with daddy

Well in 1950 I took a little nip
Along with Mister Williams on the way to Mississip
We were stacked eight deep in a Packard Limousine
When we met this promoter in the town of New Orleans
Well the man told daddy he had what it took
And he liked the way he sang and he liked the way he shook
He said pretty soon he'd make us all rich
And we started believin’ that fat sumbitch

Now daddy told the man if you wanna make some dough
Take a little money and book me on a show
And we played them dates and we filled the places well
But Hank he done blowed the profit all to hell
Cause he'd run through a ten and he'd run through a twenty
And he'd run through a hundred just as hard as he could go

Like a big dose of salt to a little bitty feller
He'd spend a thousand dollars on a hundred dollar show

Hank looked at me with a funny lookin' grin
Said I been to the Opry and I'm goin' back again
We met the owner in a little office there
A big fat fella with some artificial hair
He told hank he wanted half of everything he made
Or he'd have to tell Audrey bout some women Hank had laid
And you told daddy he'd better get smart
Get rid of them fellas and make a new start

Then he fired my ass and he fired Jerry Rivers
And he fired everybody just as hard as he could go
He fired old Cedric and he fired Sammy Pruitt
And he fired some people that he didn't even know

Well every song he made it went to number one
Y'all was workin' like hell and you was havin' fun
We was ridin' every day and a playin' every night
And every twenty minutes some of us had a fight
Now daddy he was makin' money hand over fist
And y'all was gettin' screwed but you wasn't gettin' kissed
Yeah I told him to pass a little bit around
But he said he'd rather send it to his folks in Alabam

So he fired your ass and he fired Jerry Rivers
And he fired everybody just as hard as he could go
He fired old Cedric and he fired Sammy Pruitt
And he fired some people that he didn't even know

Now the owner of the Opry he's a doin' pretty good
He's got a music company that they call Cedarwood
And hank played nothin' but sold out halls
And I was pumpin' gas in greasy overalls

Cause he fired my ass and he fired Jerry Rivers
And he fired everybody just as hard as he could go
He fired old Cedric and he fired Sammy Pruitt
And he fired some people that he didn't even know

Hank'd run through a fifty and he'd run through a hundred
And he'd run through a thousand just as hard as he could go
Buyin' Cadillac coupes payin' double alimony
And he fired some people that he didn't even know

Don you know you used to work for me one time
I sure remember that but come to think of it
You fired my ass back in 1972
Oh well that's a family tradition you know Don
Yeah yeah yeah
But I kept Jerry Rivers
Right right

**********