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“Hey Good Lookin’” Artist: Hank Williams Some artists seem to embody the myths associated with their particular style of music: Robert Johnson with Delta blues, Charlie Music / Lyrics by Hank Williams Parker with bebop jazz, Tupac with hip hop. The high-lonesome, Label: MGM (1951) alcohol-drenched image of honky-tonk country was embodied in Hank Williams, singer-songwriter extraordinaire. His songs were per- fectly crafted gems, simple in structure but deep in feeling, intensely personal and universally accessible. Dead before his time at age 29, Hank Williams’s long and celebrated shadow loomed over practically every country songwriter for the next two generations. “Hey, Good Lookin’” was recorded in March 1951 during the same recording session as his equally famous song “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still in Love with You.” The other instrumental parts were provided by Hank’s Driftin’ Cowboys band, beefed up with a few studio musicians: Don Helms, steel guitar; Jerry Rivers, fiddle; Sammy Pruett, electric guitar; Jack Shook, rhythm guitar; Ernie Newton and Howard Watts, bass; and pianists Owen Bradley and Fred Rose.

Musical Style Notes In contrast to the sad, soulful ballad style of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” or “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” “Hey Good Lookin’” is one of Hank Williams’s uptempo, honky-tonk songs with its backbeat (accents on beats 2 and 4) and tasty steel guitar licks. The structure of the song is fairly straightforward: Each verse has an AABA form, where A is one melody that repeats several times with different lyrics and B is a contrasting melody. The instrumental in the middle of the song follows the same melodic form but gives the steel guitar (Don Helms) and the fiddle (Jerry Rivers) a chance to show off their improvisational skills. Listening Guide 4 Guide Listening Musical “Road Map”

TIMINGS COMMENTS LYRICS

0:00–0:07 Introduction, played by pedal (lap?) steel

0:07–0:21 Verse 1(a) Hey, good lookin’ . . .

0:21–0:34 Verse 1(a) Hey, sweet baby . . .

0:34–0:48 Verse 1(b) I got a hot-rod Ford and a two dollar bill . . .

0:48–1:02 Verse 1(a) Hey, good lookin’ . . .

1:02–1:29 Instrumental verse with solos 2× (a) = lap steel solo

1:29–1:42 (b) = fiddle solo

1:42–1:56 (a) = lap steel returns with (a) melody

1:56–2:10 Verse 2(a) I’m free and ready . . .

2:10–2:23 Verse 2(a) No more lookin’ . . .

2:23–2:37 Verse 2(b) I’m gonna throw my datebook over the fence . . .

2:37–2:50 Verse 2(a) Hey, good lookin’ . . .

2:50–2:53 Last chord, fades

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