"Why Don't You Love Me" is a song by American singer and guitarist Hank Williams. The song reached number one on the U.S. Country & Western chart. It was released as a single in 1950 with the B-side, "A House Without Love".

Background

Like his previous hits "

You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave) "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)" is a song written by Hank Williams. It was released as a single on MGM Records in September 1949 and reached #4 on the Best Selling Retail Folk Records chart. Background "You're Gonna Change (Or I'm ...

" and " I Just Don't Like This Kind of Living", "Why Don't You Love Me" was likely inspired by Hank's turbulent relationship 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 ...

. However, the song is more lighthearted in nature, with the narrator admonishing himself ("I'm the same old trouble you've always been through") and became Williams' third No. 1 country hit. The tune was recorded in Nashville at Castle Studio with Fred Rose producing on January 9, 1950, and featured

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 ...

(fiddle),

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 ...

(steel guitar), Bob McNett (lead guitar),

Jack Shook Jack Shook (born Loren Shook; September 11, 1910 – September 23, 1986) was an American guitarist and a Grand Ole Opry star. He was a native of Decatur, Illinois. He was raised in Kansas and Missouri. He started at WSM, Nashville as a staff ...

(rhythm guitar), and Ernie Newton (bass). It is set in common time composed in a moderate

tempo In musical terminology, tempo ( Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (ofte ...

, with a main key of

F major F major (or the key of F) is a major scale based on F, with the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat. Its relative minor is D minor and its parallel minor is F minor. The F major scale is: : F major is the ...

with a basic sequence of F–C7–B♭ as its

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

. "Why Don't You Love Me" was featured over the closing credits of the film ''

The Last Picture Show ''The Last Picture Show'' is a 1971 American coming-of-age drama film directed and co-written by Peter Bogdanovich, adapted from the semi-autobiographical 1966 novel ''The Last Picture Show'' by Larry McMurtry. The film's ensemble cast includes ...

''.

Charts

Cover versions

*"Why Don't You Love Me" was covered by American country artist

Connie Smith Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador; August 14, 1941) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity h ...

for her 1975 album, '' I Got a Lot of Hurtin' Done Today / I've Got My Baby on My Mind'', and released as a single, peaking at No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' Country chart.

References

Sources

* {{Authority control 1950 singles Hank Williams songs Connie Smith songs Van Morrison songs Songs written by Hank Williams 1950 songs Song recordings produced by Fred Rose (songwriter)