Alabama gained one more citizen, with the birth of Hiram King Williams on Sept. 17, 1923. Hiram went on to become known to the world as Hank Williams Sr. He was a singer, songwriter with a list of accomplishments and accolades as far-reaching as the wide-ranging effect that he, himself, has had on the music industry. I’ve long been aware that Hank died at 29 years old, in the back of his new ‘52 Cadillac, on the way to a show on New Years Eve 1952. Unaware of the exact time of death, it was ruled that his passing was on Jan. 1, 1953. They ruled the cause as a heart attack, but it was well known the hard-living, booze and pain pills, likely contributed to his demise.
I’ve always considered that man to be a lyrical genius. Some of his old songs, going back 75 years, could probably be released for the first time today and be chart hits. You can’t say that about too many songs. “Cold, Cold Heart,†“Your Cheatin Heart,†“I Can’t Help If I’m Still In Love With You,†and "Kaw-Liga" were huge hits, just to name a few. Every word he sang was dripping with a heartache that made you feel that you could have written that song yourself.
Hank Sr.’s recording career was short-lived but he “packed it in†with the short time he had, having written, or co-written 167 songs. In his six years of recording songs, he earned 41 chart-topping singles, 11 which were No. 1, two Long Play albums, as well as numerous posthumous compilation albums and singles.
To show Hank’s genius, I’d like to set the stage and focus on just one of his songs. "Kaw-Liga" was released in 1953, after he died, and instantly became a No. 1 song, that he never knew. Kaw-Liga was a sad story about a lonely Indian who never went nowhere. He fell in love with an Indian maid with long black hair. Kaw-Liga was too scared to tell her he loved her, but she always hoped someday he would. Soon, a wealthy person swept the Indian maid away, and, sadly, poor Kaw-Liga stayed alone.
How many people in this world have had that happen to them, lost out because they were too shy to express their true love and feelings? They say, if you have feelings for someone, you should let it be known, that is, unless it has no chance to grow. Now, in Kaw-Liga’s case, he was a wooden Indian, a totem pole, with no heart or voice, but Hank Sr. gave him a hell of a message to share.
"Kaw-Liga" lyrics: Kaw-Liga was a wooden Indian standing by the door, he fell in love with an Indian maid, over at the antique store. He stood there and never let it show, so she could never answer “yes†or “no.†He wore his Sunday feathers and held a tomahawk, maiden wore her beads and braids and hoped someday he’d talk. Kaw-Liga, too stubborn to show a sign, because his heart was made of knotty pine. Then one day a wealthy customer bought the Indian maid, took her so far away and poor Kaw-Liga stayed. Now Kaw-Liga stands there as lonely as can be, wishing he was still an old pine tree.
