The Steel Guitar Forum

Some have asked me to post this because some do not believe it is true.
Hank williams DID NOT WRITE THE SONG MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS,

The band I played with accross the street from the Jefferson Davis Hotel where Hank did his show every morning if he was sober enough, sometimes they had to play records.
One morning smokey Metcalf our bans leader said lets go over and talk to Hank, we did a show the same time he did. while talking to Hank he asked smokey, You have been doing a song, I need to use it on a record, I need 1 more song to finish it. Smoky said I will sell it to you, Hank handed him $25.00, I was standing there when the money changed hands.
Here is a verse from the song Hank never sang,
"I MET MY FUTURE WIFE TODAY AND HER NAME IS CASSIE MAE" hER LAST NAME WAS METCALF. Don Lynch in Montgomery told me he also knows this to be true.
This takes nothing away from Hank's great ability to write great songs and is not ment to belittle him in any way, we all know how good a writer he was, just giving credit where credit is due.
"HE DID NOT WRITE THE WORDS TO KAWLIGA" I most likely spelled this wrong but you know what is ment.There is also a story behind I Saw The Light also. And Mantion On the Hill. There is nothing wrong with Hank putting his name on the song he bought and paid the price asked. Old s
Smoky just never liked to work and was always broke.


ernie

I'm sure what you say is true Ernie. The "Cassie Mae" verse was in "Rootie Tootie" though, and I'm not sure what you're saying.

I seem to remember Harlan Howard doing it at least..

ROOTIE TOOTIE
Recorded by Hank Williams, Sr.
Written by Fred Rose

[E] Met my future wife today
And her name is Cassie Mae
[A] Rootie Tootie, (Rootie Tootie)
[E] Rootie Tootie, (Rootie Tootie)
[B7] Rootie Tootie, she's my Sunday [E] gal.

Feelin' dandy, doin' swell
My gal is the village bell
Hotsy-totsy (Rootie Tootie)
Super-duper (Rootie Tootie)
Rootie Tootie, she's my Monday gal.

You should see the people stare
When we walk around the square
Bouncy-bouncy, (Rootie Tootie)
Upsy-daisy, (Rootie Tootie)
Rootie Tootie, she's my Tuesday gal.

I'm not jealous, no siree
Just as long as she's with me
Wicky-wacky, (Rootie Tootie)
Humpty-dumpty, (Rootie Tootie)
Rootie Tootie, she's my Wednesday gal.

She's got "purty" eyes of blue
And she thinks I'm "purty", too
Tootsie-wootsie, (Rootie Tootie)
Hunky-dory, (Rootie Tootie)
Rootie Tootie, she's my Thursday gal.

Gonna make that lady mine
When she signs that dotted line
Hinky-dinky, (Rootie Tootie)
Yipsy-doodle, (Rootie Tootie)
Rootie Tootie, she's my Friday gal.

I remember it, though I was born on 53 so I wasn't around when he was alive...

I don't doubt a bit that songs "written" by some people really weren't..

Love that firsthand info, and thanks, I'm not meaning to contradict it.



EJL

Eric I have talked to some that said they had heard the verse but, I did not remember it being on the org, recording, Give me room for senior moments.
Maby you know the Story about the duo of Hank and Hezzy, that was once paired up. It just proves my point. About the name, I have a copy here and will check it out,
I just went back and reread your post, Hank did not write Rootie Tootie, Fred Rose did ,He may have seen the name on Hanks copy of Mind Your own Busines, and used it.
Hezzie came over to our house and Mom and dad tought him how to hang Paper, also his brother, and they were hanging houses next to me in 1953, On Goode St. Extension. They paid us $35.00 to hang 50 rolls of side wall and 50 rolls of ceiling. This is how I got the money to travel to Tupelo Miss. to go to Bible school. I was the only paper hanger there that could hang a 100 rolls a day by my self ,no helper.

TOOT TOOT



ernie

Dunno. I just heard it on an old tape of HW songs etc and looked it up. I do remember that Harlan Howard, and a few others sounded a lot like Hank, and don't mean to confuse the story. I just looked the words up on Google, though I remember them in total. Kawliga similarly, and I have no idea who "really" wrote them.

I'm just not old enough to have known a lot of folks that knew any first hand info. I was born 5 months after he passed.

:

EJL

May be wrong,if so some one will let me know. One of Hanks BIGGEST hits he did'nt write. LOVE SICK BLUES] Was written by Cliff Friend and Irving Mills, The first recording was by Elsie Clark in 1922. YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.

I spent 5 nightss with Ernie i na Dallas Hotel last March during the Dallas show.
At that time Ernie laid out all the details to me how Kawalga came about as well as several other songs that Hank did.
I think Ernie told me he lived 3 streets over from Hank at that time.
Just give him some time and maybe he'll tell you the real story behind these songs.
It's not my place to do it.
Ernie is not one to tell the untruth.

Elvis never wrote any songs either, but his name is on several of them.
Don

A lot of artist just get songs that the regestration hasa run out on them. Dottie Rambo did one that I know of. I have no "PROOF OF WHAT I AM GOING TO SAY HERE"
The person suposidly who wrote Kawliga was a littl ole lady that lived in the town of the same name, across the street where she lives was 2 stores with Indians in front. She wrote the poem and Hank suposidly got it and turned it to music.
A lot of things get missed led by rumors, I would also like proof of this rumer. It was told tp me by a person close to Hank, One of the Band members that hung out with us at the american Guitar studio.

ernie

Ernie - I sent you a private message.

Ernest Cawby wrote: A lot of things get missed led by rumors, I would also like proof of this rumer.
ernie

Rumors? Sounds like you're the one relying on rumors. There's no need to invoke conspiracy theories here. Like every other professional songwriter who's ever lived, Hank Williams bought songs, borrowed lyrics, and re-wrote existing songs. So what? Nobody is suggesting otherwise. But there's absolutely no evidence to suggest that the majority of songs credited to Hank Williams originated anywhere else except in the mind of Hank Williams -- with some polishing from Fred Rose in some cases.

You may wish to read "Hank Williams: The Biography" by Colin Escott which covers the songwriting aspect of Hank Williams extensively, and addresses all of the supposed "controversies" about song lyrics he didn't write.

Regarding "Mind Your Own Business," Escott writes:

"Hank had bought the genesis of 'Mind Your Own Business' from Smokey Metcalfe, but refashioned it and adapted it to the melody of 'Move It On Over.'"

"Kaw-Liga" was written by Hank Williams and Fred Rose. There is zero evidence to suggest otherwise.

Charles Davidson wrote:May be wrong,if so some one will let me know. One of Hanks BIGGEST hits he did'nt write. LOVE SICK BLUES] Was written by Cliff Friend and Irving Mills, The first recording was by Elsie Clark in 1922. YOU BETCHA, DYK?BC.

You are correct. Of course, Hank Williams never claimed that he wrote it. He learned it from Rex Griffin.

Ernest Cawby wrote:There is also a story behind I Saw The Light also. And Mantion On the Hill.
ernie

"I Saw the Light" was inspired by Albert Brumley's "He Set Me Free." Hank wrote it.

"A Mansion on the Hill" was written by Hank Williams, Audrey Williams, and Fred Rose.

I was the only steel player Smokey ever had, we did the song on the radio just like Hank sang it , this is no rumer I was there and did that. Where I had dubt I stated is as not a fact.
When Hank wrote I saw the light, was told to me by a person that was in the car when he wrote the song, he later married Nans best girl friend and was always close to our family. I was just trying to givr some back groud to some things I thought might be interesting about country music, not start any disagreements. Where I knew it I stated facts, Hank did not upgrade the song was as smoky wrote it. After all this I will never tell about I
Saw The Light. About Mansion on the Hill I have Don Helms story about that and it is not as stated as on the forum,
I pray this is the end for I have never wanted to cause controvery on the forum.

ernie

I have on a CD from a show Don Helms did in Daleville alabama about how Hank did Write Mansion on the hill, Don was there and I think he should know how it was done. a lot of things writers write about they fail to get it right. Hank according to Don as a fact STATED THAT HANK. wrote Mansion on the Hill in one afternoon BY HIMSELF.
Now I know why some of the steel Players choose not to post their stories on this Forum.
I certainly will never post one again.
It seems people that were not there know more than the people that lived the hapening.

ernie

Ernest Cawby wrote: Here is a verse from the song Hank never sang,
"I MET MY FUTURE WIFE TODAY AND HER NAME IS CASSIE MAE"

He didn't sing it in "Mind Your Own Business", but it is included in "Rootie Tootie", which I sang for many years (back when I used to sing). Maybe Hank split the original "Mind Your Own Business" into two different songs. They are very similar!

The man that trashed me by his own admission showed who wrote ROOTIE TOOTIE
Recorded by Hank Williams, Sr.
Written by Fred Rose
This was copied from his post.

Written by Fred Rose

Fred must have seen Smoky's original copy and just used the name.
The part of the post I recieved from a 3rd party and was not sue of I stated that as fact, I was not there.

ernie

It IS interesting how sometimes the person that has the rights to the song isn't always the one that really wrote it.

Any info you have E, is interesting for sure.

I've never been a fan of copyright laws, but then hey..

Thanks, and please don't quit posting info you remember.



EJL

A lot of writers get screwed big time. There was an old fellow here in Phenix City in his last days lived in the projects,I would go by and talk with him once in a while before he died.His name was Mr. Jimmy Tarlton. He and his partner Mr. Tom Darby wrote Columbus Stockade Blues. He told me when they recorded that song they got 150.00 dollars for it. It has been recorded countless times. If you check the sheet music it will say Jimmy Davis. Read Mel Tillis's bio,He said Webb Pierce recorded several of his songs ,But he to put Webb as a co-writer,Finnaly when he refused Webb NEVER cut another of Mel's songs. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.

I thought it was common practice for a lot of big stars to sometimes demand shared writing credits to record a song... I've heard Elvis mentioned...

As for Kaw-Liga, I wouldn't be surprised if Hank Williams wasn't the writer. It is very different compared to all his other songs, both the melody and the lyric style. If he wrote it himself, it's his weakest effort, IMHO.

I know that a version,,or actually several versions of "Lovesick Blues" was played and sung by the black street musicians that roamed the country in the 40s and 50s,,,,Hank probably tweaked it up a bit and put his name on it,,,,

Hank W is NOT quoted as the writer of Lovesick Blues on the records he made! One of the few big hits he had without his name on it, writer or not.

ha well, what is a big deal about all this stuff..it`s a show business..I know for fact that Buck Owens did few songs he got from Forrest Lee Sr. back in the days......


Db

Didn't Willie Nelson sell "Hello Walls" to Faron Young for a few bucks when he was pretty hard up and just starting his career.

Smiley Burnett once sold a song to Gene Autry before he'd even written it: ("Riding Down The Canyon").

Erv,
Legend has it that Willie offered to sell Faron his song "Hello Walls" after Faron had recorded it and it had been released. Willie was shy on funds and had not received any royalties. Faron advised him against that and instead loaned Willie $500.00, which he never let Willie forget....

Over the years I have heard many different versions of some of these stories and I have always just taken them as light humor or someones disgust with a performer. I even have some of my own that I was a personal witness to. My policy has always been not to repeat anything that I didn't personally witness. Even some of what I witnessed does not get told as it could damage an artists reputation and I wouldn't do that even to someone I didn't like.

Sammy Barnhart was reciving checks for writing the song Margret whitting and Jimmy Wakely recorded, went #1,
"I wish I had a Nickle"
He would get a check seems like once a month, was not very big thou.

ernie