Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1952


Kaw-Liga

Buy Kaw-Liga now from Amazon

First, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.

Wikipedia article




"'Kaw-Liga'" ( ) is a country music song written by Hank Williams and Fred Rose.

Background



"Kaw-Liga" is one of just a handful of songs that Williams wrote with Fred Rose, who produced his records and published his songs through his company Acuff-Rose. Rose often "doctored" the songs Williams composed, making suggestions and revisions, with biographer Roger M. Williams (no known relation) noting that Rose's contribution to Williams' songs was probably craftsmanship, whereas Williams' was genius. Roy Acuff later recalled:

Content



The song tells the story of a wooden Indian, Kaw-Liga, who falls in love with an "Indian maid over in the antique store" but does not tell her so, being, as the lyrics say:

The Indian maid waits for Kaw-Liga to signal his affection for her, but he either refuses or is physically/emotionally unable (interpretations vary) to talk. Some interpret Kaw-Liga as a stoical Native American stereotype but the subject of masculine pride and emotional hardness is a popular one in country music and the then common "dime-store Indians" (which were the store's way of advertising that they sold tobacco) being made of unmoving wood was a perfect symbol of an aversion to expression of emotion. Because of his stubbornness, Kaw-Liga's love continues to be unrequited, with Hank Williams, the narrator/singer of the song lamenting,

The song ends with the Indian maid being bought and taken away from the antique store by a buyer, leaving Kaw-Liga alone, and he

Recording and release



The song was recorded during Williams' final recording session on September 23, 1952 at Castle Studio in Nashville. The session also produced "I Could Never Be Ashamed of You," (written for his soon-to-be wife Billie Jean), "Take These Chains From My Heart" (also written by Rose), and Williams' signature ballad "Your Cheatin' Heart." ' More than any other song, "Kaw-Liga" bears evidence of the guiding hand of Rose, who moulded the song into nothing like Williams had recorded up to that point. It begins in a minor key, which modulates into a major key on the chorus, and also features big-band drummer Farris Coursey, who had played brushes on Williams' previous song "Moanin' the Blues" and played in WSM's dance band. In addition, the song fades out, the only Hank Williams song to do so. Williams is also backed by Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Chet Atkins (lead guitar), Jack Shook (rhythm guitar), and Floyd "Lightnin'" Chance (bass). The single was released posthumously in January 1953 on the MGM Records label and it remained No. 1 on the 'Billboard' Country chart for 14 weeks. The flipside, "Your Cheatin' Heart, remained at No. 1 on the country chart for 6 weeks.

A demo version of Williams singing "Kaw-Liga" with just his guitar, likely recorded in 1951, is also available. On the recording, Williams misplays a chord and can be heard muttering "shit" before starting the song again.

Other versions



*Marty Robbins included it as the opening track of his self-titled 1958 LP.

*Johnny and the Hurricanes released an instrumental version of the song in 1963.

*The hillbilly comedy duo Homer and Jethro included a parody entitled "Poor Ol Koo-liger" on their 1963 album 'The Humorous Side of Country Music'. This album also included a parody of "Your Cheatin Heart", which they transformed into "Your Clobbered Heart".

*Del Shannon recorded it for his 1964 album 'Del Shannon Sings Hank Williams'.

*Charley Pride took a live version of the song to No. 3 on the country singles chart in 1969.

*Loretta Lynn recorded it in 1969.

*Roy Orbison recorded it for his tribute album 'Hank Williams the Roy Orbison Way' in 1970.

*Doc Watson recorded a version for his 1974 album 'Two Days in November'.

*Hank Williams's son, Hank Williams Jr., recorded a cover which peaked at number twelve on the Billboard country singles chart in the summer of 1980. Williams Jr. also performed the song on a television special with Johnny Cash.

*The avant-garde band The Residents recorded the song for their 1986 album 'Stars & Hank Forever: The American Composers Series', replacing its original backing music with the bassline of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. This may have been a reference to Williams' wife, who was named Billie Jean.

*Roy Clark and Joe Pass recorded a two-guitar instrumental version for their 1994 album 'Roy Clark and Joe Pass Play Hank Williams'.

*John Soderling recorded it for his 2018 album 'Old Hank's Country Songs'.

Bibliography



*

References




Buy Kaw-Liga now from Amazon

<-- Return to songs from 1952



This work is released under CC-BY-SA. Some or all of this content attributed to http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1086542440.