"I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" is a song written and originally recorded by Hank Williams on MGM Records. It hit number two on the '' Billboard'' country singles chart in 1951. In his autobiography,

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", ...

printed the first six lines of the song and stated, "Its lyrics couldn't be more simple - or profound."

Recording and composition

According to

Colin Escott Colin Escott (born August 31, 1949) is a British music historian and author specializing in early U.S. rock and roll and country music. His works include a biography of Hank Williams, histories of Sun Records and The Grand Ole Opry, liner note ...

's 2004 book ''Hank Williams: The Biography'', fiddler

Jerry Rivers Jerry Rivers (August 25, 1928 – October 4, 1996) was an American fiddle player. Biography Jerry Rivers was born in Miami, Florida. He played fiddle with the Drifting Cowboys, a band who will be forever associated with their "frontman", the leg ...

always claimed that Hank wrote the song in the touring Sedan, and when he came up with the opening line, "Today I passed you on the street," and then asked for suggestions, steel guitarist

Don Helms Donald "Don" Hugh Helms (February 28, 1927 – August 11, 2008) was a steel guitarist best known as the steel guitar player of Hank Williams's Drifting Cowboys group. He was a member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame (1984). Biography Helms was ...

replied, "And I smelled your rotten feet." The song was recorded at Castle Studio in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

, on March 16, 1951, and issued as MGM catalog No. 10961. Williams was backed on the session by members of his

Drifting Cowboys The Drifting Cowboys were the backing group for American country legend and singer-songwriter Hank Williams. The band went through several lineups during Williams' career. The original lineup was formed in 1937, changing musicians from show to s ...

band, including: Rivers, Helms, Sammy Pruett (electric guitar), Jack Shook (rhythm guitar), Ernie Newton or "Cedric Rainwater" aka Howard Watts (bass), and either Owen Bradley or producer Fred Rose on piano. It was released as the B-side of " Howlin' at the Moon", but on the strength of its simple language and passionate singing, soared to number two on the ''Billboard'' Country Singles chart. Williams sang the song with

Anita Carter Ina Anita Carter (March 31, 1933 – July 29, 1999) was an American singer who played upright bass, guitar, and autoharp. She performed with her sisters, Helen and June, and her mother, Maybelle, initially under the name The Carter Sisters an ...

on the ''Kate Smith Evening Hour'' on April 23, 1952. The rare television appearance is one of the few film clips of Williams in performance.

Chart performance

Notable cover versions

Many artists have

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...

the song. Among the most successful are the following: *

Guy Mitchell Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. In the fa ...

's 1951 version peaked at No. 28 on '' Billboard'' charts. *

Johnny Tillotson Johnny Tillotson (born April 20, 1938) is an American singer-songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored nine top-ten hits on the pop, country, and adult contemporary ''Billboard'' charts, including " Poetry ...

's 1962 rendition reached No. 24 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. *

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis S ...

recorded the track in 1965. Her version was released as a single and peaked at number 26 on the U.S. ''Billboard''

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

singles chart the same year. *

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

covered the song on her 1974 album ''

Heart Like a Wheel ''Heart Like a Wheel'' is the fifth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt, released in November 1974. It was Ronstadt's last album to be released by Capitol Records. At the time of its recording, Ronstadt had already moved to Asylum Records and r ...

'', reaching No. 2 on the U.S. Country chart. Her version won her the Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. * Cat Power covered the song on their 1996 album ''

Myra Lee ''Myra Lee'' is the second album by Cat Power, the stage name and eponymous band of American singer-songwriter Chan Marshall. It was released in 1996 on the Smells Like Records label. The album was named after Marshall's mother. Recording The ...

'' as "Still in Love". *

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

recorded a demo of the song in 1961 which was not released until 1997 on his ''Platinum - A Life In Music'' box set.Platinum , A Life In Music , Elvis Presley 4 CD Set, retrieved 4 October 2022
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References

{{authority control 1951 songs 1951 singles 1962 singles 1974 singles Hank Williams songs Songs written by Hank Williams Linda Ronstadt songs Song recordings produced by Fred Rose (songwriter) MGM Records singles Cadence Records singles Capitol Records singles