Luke The Drifter

I wanted my very first Classics post to be über special, so I chose Hank Williams “Ramblin’ Man”! I have a soft spot for Hank’s pliable voice and gritty, simple approach to early country. In 1950 - two years before he died under mysterious cicumstances at the age of 29 - he recorded fourteen songs as his alter ego Luke The Drifter. Luke The Drifter was a compassionate, wise, traveling man who had seen it all. He gave all the good advice that Hank himself seemed to ignore at the time.

I don’t know how they thought the audience could miss the obvious Hankness of his voice, but these songs were recorded under a different name because Hank Williams and his people weren’t sure his fans would accept these bluesy, preachy songs. The majority of his hits by then were sweet, fast poppy country songs to tap your feet to, like “Move It On Over” and “My Bucket’s Got Hole In It”. The Luke The Drifter songs stay with you longer. They’re the religious musings of an experienced man who has struggled with sin and came out older and wiser. Actors often say that crawling into someone else’s skin makes it easier to tap into certain emotions, which would explain why, as Luke, Hank sounds like he is really able to pour his heart and soul out into these songs.

My favorite, and probably most popular, Luke The Drifter song is “Ramblin’ Man”. It is an apology to Luke’s lover for not being able to settle down, because like a cursed man he is compelled to roam the land. A guitar and a fiddle quietly keep a rhythm going, while Hank Williams’ heartbreaking voice takes center stage. It has so much depth and feeling that I just can’t understand how country went from this to the Nashville sound. But that’s a whole other story.

   Hank Williams - Ramblin’ Man

And a few new bands that do Luke The Drifter proud:

   Drakkar Sauna - Glissade Pressee
   Two Gallants - Untitled II (Daytrotter Session)
   Poorboy Johnson & The Goddamn Rattlesnakes - Did You Ever Know Boy