"A House Without Love" is a song composed by

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

. It was released as the B-side to " Why Don't You Love Me" in 1950 on

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

Background

By May 1950, Hank Williams was a country superstar, having scored eight Top 5 hits since January 1949, and "Why Don't You Love Me" became his second #1 country single in a row. However, the B-side "A House Without Love," which contained lines like "We slaved to gain a worthless treasure" and "the simple things have gone forever," seemed to express Williams growing disillusion with fame and his growing estrangement with his wife

Audrey Williams Audrey Mae Sheppard Williams (February 28, 1923 – November 4, 1975) was an American musician known for being the first wife of country music singer and songwriter Hank Williams, the mother of Hank Williams Jr. and the grandmother of Hank Willi ...

. In the episode of ''

American Masters ''American Masters'' is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and those who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the ...

'' about Hank's life, songwriter

Danny Dill Horace Eldred "Danny" Dill (September 19, 1924 – October 23, 2008) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1975. Biography Dill, born in Clarksburg, Tennessee, got h ...

stated, "See, Hank was one of those people that had driving ambition. He wanted to get to this place in the world where he was somebody. And he got up there, and there wasn't anything up there. It was empty...There was nothing there that he wanted. It was all back down there where he'd been." There are many documented accounts of the singer's disdain for those he perceived as thinking they were "above" him and he often made light of the fact that Audrey often spent money faster than he could make it. Indeed, the more successful Williams became, the more out of control his personal life spiraled as the new decade wore on. Williams recorded the song on August 30, 1949 at Herzog Studio in

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

(the same session that produced the B-side "

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer-songwriter Hank Williams in 1949. The song has been covered by a wide range of musicians. Authorship and production Various writers quoted Williams a ...

"). He is backed by members of the Pleasant Valley Boys – Zeke Turner (lead guitar),

Jerry Byrd Gerald Lester Byrd (March 9, 1920 – April 11, 2005) was an American musician who played the lap steel guitar in country and Hawaiian music, as well as a singer-songwriter and the head of a music publishing firm. He appeared on numerous radio ...

(steel guitar), and Louis Innis (rhythm guitar) – as well as Tommy Jackson (fiddle) and Ernie Newton (bass).

Cover versions

George Jones George Glenn Jones (September 12, 1931 – April 26, 2013) was an American country musician, singer, and songwriter. He achieved international fame for his long list of hit records, including his best-known song "He Stopped Loving Her Today", ...

recorded the song for his 1962 tribute album ''

My Favorites of Hank Williams ''My Favorites of Hank Williams'' is an album by American country music artist George Jones. It was released in 1962 on the United Artists record label. It was Jones' second tribute to the music of Hank Williams. Background Jones's first rele ...

''. *

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled af ...

and

Bonnie Owens Bonnie Owens (October 1, 1929 – April 24, 2006), born Bonnie Campbell, was an American country music singer who was married to Buck Owens and later Merle Haggard. Biography She was born Bonnie Campbell in Blanchard, Oklahoma, United Stat ...

recorded the song as a duet in 1966. *The song appears on the 1995

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

box set ''A Classic and Unreleased Collection''.

References

;Sources * {{DEFAULTSORT:House Without Love 1949 songs Hank Williams songs Songs written by Hank Williams Song recordings produced by Fred Rose (songwriter) MGM Records singles Breakup songs Songs about divorce