They'll Never Take Her Love from Me

Leon Payne wrote hundreds of country songs in a prolific career that lasted from 1941 until his death in 1969. He is perhaps best known for his hits "I Love You Because", "You've Still Got a Place in My Heart," and for the two songs Williams recorded: "Lost Highway" and "They'll Never Take Her Love from Me."

Williams cut the song on June 14, 1950 at Castle Studio in Nashville with Fred Rose producing and backing from Sammy Pruett (lead guitar), Jack Shook or Rusty Gabbard (rhythm guitar), Don Helms (steel guitar), Jerry Rivers (fiddle), and Ernie Newton (bass.^[1] The song was released as the flipside to Williams' own "Why Should We Try Anymore," but Payne's song outperformed the A-side, peaking at #5 ("Why Should We Try Anymore stalled at #9). As Williams biographer Colin Escott observes, "The message was clear: the public wanted brisk, up-temp juke joint songs. History might decide that Hank Williams was the finest writer and singer of 'heart' songs in all country music, but that wasn't what radio and jukebox audiences wanted in 1950."^[2]

Cover versions

Johnny Horton recorded the song.
George Jones cut the song for his 1962 LP My Favorites of Hank Williams.
Don Gibson covered the song.
Mac Wiseman included the song on his 1976 album Country Music Memories.
Mel McDaniel covered the song on his 1978 album Mello.
The song is featured on the album Ol' Waylon Sings Ol' Hank by Waylon Jennings.
The song appears on the 1995 Willie Nelson box set A Classic and Unreleased Collection.
Footage of Elliott Smith performing the song in Fargo, North Dakota in 1997 can be found on YouTube.
Doug Sahm recorded the song for his 2001 album The Return of Wayne Douglas.

References

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