Saturday 9: I'll Never Get Out

Saturday 9: I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive (1952)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Hank Williams sings that his fishing pole is broke and the creek is full of sand. OK, so he can't spend his Saturday fishing. What are your Saturday plans?

A. It's horrid hot here, so my plans are to stay inside. Change the bed, maybe work on the bookkeeping. Or not.

2) He regrets how shabby his shoes are. Do you shop for shoes online, or do you prefer going to the store and trying them on?

A. The shoe store that I liked closed. I know what sneakers I wear and the size, so now I order them. But if I needed a different shoe, I would prefer to be able to try them on.

3) This was the last Hank Williams song to be released during his lifetime. Though he was only 29 when he died, he left an enduring mark on American music and is considered one of country music's greatest singer/songwriters. Who is your favorite country music performer?

A. I am not a big country music fan. I will go with Dolly Parton.

4) Elvis was a big fan, and his favorite Hank Williams song was "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." What's your favorite Elvis song?

A. My Way.

5) Johnny Cash was a big Hank Williams fan, too. He performed Hank's gospel song, "I Saw the Light" often in concert and during his guest starring role in a 1974 episode of Columbo. Did you watch Columbo, or do you stream it or catch it in reruns?

A. I have seen it occasionally, but I did not watch it regularly.

6) Hank was a prolific songwriter, composing songs on his guitar and then printing the lyrics by hand on notepaper. He never learned to read music. Can you read music?

A. I can, but not well. I have to stop and think about it and that's not really reading it. Guitar tab is music written specifically for guitar, and I can read that, too, but again, I have to stop and think about it. Mostly I play by ear. I just know when to change chords or hit a string or whatever.

7) When he was a teen, Hank sang and played his guitar on the sidewalk in front of a local radio station, making a little money and hoping to be discovered. His plan worked and he was occasionally invited in to play with the radio station's house band. Were you a hard-working teen?

A. I thought so. My parents probably thought differently. I did not work at McDonalds, but instead I played in a band, which required rehearsals and then we had gigs on Friday and Saturday nights. It gave me enough money for gas and whatever I needed. I also looked after my brother, helped my mother around the house, and helped my father on the farm. When I was 16, I spent my summers working at my father's office. I did my chores. As far as I'm concerned, I've always worked hard.

8) Hank suffered from a congenital spinal condition and began self-medicating with alcohol during his teen years. He was warned against this early on by country superstar Ray Acuff, but Hank was unable to deal with the pain without liquor. Can you recall wise advise you wish you'd taken, but didn't?

A. Not offhand, but I always try not to burn bridges. I'm sure I've left a few in flames, though.

9) Random question: What's your favorite Mexican food?

A. I have never eaten in a Mexican restaurant. That's something I need to remedy but I have no clue when it will happen.

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.