Take These Chains From My Heart – Hank Williams

“Take These Chains from My Heart” is a song by Hank Williams. It was written by Fred Rose and Hy Heath and was recorded at Williams’ final recording session on September 23, 1952, in Nashville. The song has been widely praised; Williams’ biographer Colin Escott deems it “perhaps the best song [Rose] ever presented to Hank…It was one of the very few songs that sounded somewhat similar to a Hank Williams song.”Williams is backed by Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Chet Atkins (lead guitar), Jack Shook (rhythm guitar), and Floyd “Lightnin'” Chance (bass). In the wake of Williams’ passing on New Year’s Day, 1953, the song shot to #1, his final chart-topping hit for MGM Records. Like “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” the song’s theme of despair, so vividly articulated by Williams’ typically impassioned singing, reinforced the image of Hank as a tortured, mythic figure. What did you think? Please tell us in the comment section below and remember to sign up for our free newsletter.