I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)
"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" is a song written and originally recorded by Hank Williams on MGM Records.[4] It hit number two on the Billboard country singles chart in 1951. In his autobiography, George Jones printed the first six lines of the song and stated, "Its lyrics couldn't be more simple - or profound."
| "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Hank Williams and His Drifting Cowboys | ||||
| A-side | "Howlin' at the Moon" | |||
| Published | April 25, 1951 Acuff-Rose Publications[1] | |||
| Released | May 1951[2] | |||
| Recorded | March 16, 1951[3] | |||
| Studio | Castle Studio, Nashville | |||
| Genre | Hillbilly, Honky-tonk, Country blues | |||
| Length | 2:26 | |||
| Label | MGM 10961 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Hank Williams | |||
| Producer(s) | Fred Rose | |||
| Hank Williams and His Drifting Cowboys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Recording and composition edit
According to Colin Escott's 2004 book Hank Williams: The Biography, fiddler Jerry Rivers always claimed that Hank wrote the song in the touring Sedan, and when he came up with the opening line, "Today I passed you on the street," and then asked for suggestions, steel guitarist Don Helms replied, "And I smelled your rotten feet."[5] The song was recorded at Castle Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, on March 16, 1951, and issued as MGM catalog No. 10961.[6]
Williams was backed on the session by members of his Drifting Cowboys band, including: Rivers, Helms, Sammy Pruett (electric guitar), Jack Shook (rhythm guitar), Ernie Newton or "Cedric Rainwater" aka Howard Watts (bass), and either Owen Bradley or producer Fred Rose on piano.[7] It was released as the B-side of "Howlin' at the Moon", but on the strength of its simple language and passionate singing, soared to number two on the Billboard Country Singles chart.
Williams sang the song with Anita Carter on the Kate Smith Evening Hour on April 23, 1952. The rare television appearance is one of the few film clips of Williams in performance.
Chart performance edit
| Chart (1951) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 2 |
Notable cover versions edit
Many artists have covered the song. Among the most successful are the following:
- Guy Mitchell's 1951 version peaked at No. 28 on Billboard charts.[8]
- Johnny Tillotson's 1962 rendition reached No. 24 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[9]
- Skeeter Davis recorded the track in 1965. Her version was released as a single and peaked at number 26 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 singles chart the same year.[10]
- Linda Ronstadt covered the song on her 1974 album Heart Like a Wheel, reaching No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles chart.[11] Her version won her the 1976 Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.
- Cat Power covered the song on their 1996 album Myra Lee as "Still in Love".
- Elvis Presley recorded a demo of the song in 1961 which was not released until 1997 on his Platinum - A Life In Music box set.[12]
References edit
- ^ "U.S. Copyright Office Virtual Card Catalog 1946-1954". vcc.copyright.gov. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
- ^ "Howlin' At the Moon". www.wikidata.org. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ^ "Hank Williams 78rpm Issues". jazzdiscography.com. Retrieved 2021-09-23.
- ^ "45cat.com". 45cat.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ Escott, Colin (2004). Hank Williams: The Biography. New York: Back Bay Books. p. 163. ISBN 0316734977.
- ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
- ^ Escott, Colin (2004). Hank Williams: The Biography. New York: Back Bay Books. p. 244. ISBN 0316734977.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 317. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 241.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2011). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2010. Record Research. p. 221. ISBN 978-0898201888.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 300.
- ^ Platinum | A Life In Music | Elvis Presley 4 CD Set, retrieved 4 October 2022