I don’t know who put me onto Don William’s version of Merle Haggard’s classic of Sing Me Back Home a few years ago, but I sure would like to thank them. My friend Max at PowerPop wrote in July this year about the original version which includes a story about Haggard’s time in gaol where he wrote this sad song. It was among several notable Haggard songs that touched on a common theme of his 1960s and early 1970s recordings—prison. Rolling Stone ranked Sing Me Back Home No. 32 on its list of the 40 Saddest Country Songs of All Time.
We have a few degrees of separation here, because Max a decade or so after the original version was released interacted with today’s featured artist the late great Don Williams who lived a few miles from where Max grew up near Nashville. ‘He (Don Williams) was always nice to me and the people in town knew him, but he never acted like he was anything special‘. Max further recalled how Don Williams would mow the high school baseball field and the city park when he got bored. He also donated heavily to charities and the local Churches.
I have written a lot about Don Williams and how his music was played incessantly in our household growing up west of Sydney, Australia. My father was a huge fan of him, and over the years I have become a keen follower as well. Don Williams has my favourite voice in Country music. It’s just so smooth and calming, never overpowering yet deeply resonant like he is singing directly to the listener. It’s that effortless quality that earned him the nickname “The Gentle Giant” as well as his modest demeanour.
The warden led a prisoner down the hallway to his doom
I stood up to say good-bye like all the rest
And I heard him tell the warden just before he reached my cell
‘Let my guitar playing friend do my request.’ (Let him…)
Sing me back home with a song I used to hear
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Sing Me Back Home before I die
I recall last Sunday morning a choir from ‘cross the street
Came to sing a few old gospel songs
And I heard him tell the singers ‘There’s a song my mama sang
Can I hear once before we move along?’
Sing me back home, the song my mama sang
Make my old memories come alive
Take me away and turn back the years
Sing Me Back Home before I die
Sing Me Back Home before I die
Don William’s Sing Me Back Home was released on his 2014 record ‘Reflections’, which was his last record where he paid tribute to various artists including: (other than Merle Haggard) Townes Van Zandt and Jesse Winchester. 2 years later in March 2016, Williams announced he was retiring from touring and cancelled all his scheduled shows. He said in a statement: “It’s time to hang my hat up and enjoy some quiet time at home. I’m so thankful for my fans, my friends and my family for their everlasting love and support,“. Williams married Joy Janene Bucher in April 1960. They had two children. On September 8, 2017, Williams died in Alabama, of emphysema.
References:
1. Sing Me Back Home (song) – Wikipedia
2. Don Williams – Wikipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Thanks Matt! I like anything Don covers. His voice was so golden. He did an excellent version of this song.
I wrote to you in your post how much I liked Haggard’s version and it is indeed great, but I will correct myself and say that Don’s version is my ‘Desert Is. choice of the two.
It is so impressive how great Don sounds in that version here despite already amassing 75 years. Legend. I can’t imagine what it was like for you having met him.
I wish I would have met him later on… I may have but just not realized it…at least walked by him. The Church he went to is 2 miles away from where I live.
I like his versions of anything.
Yes, that makes sense, but it doesn’t matter since you got to meet him on occasion. As you impressed on me, the guy was good friends with Eric Clapton and worked with Burt Reynolds for goodness sake. Just reading your ditty about the Church almost transports my mind into what it must have been like to live there. Crazy.
It was a special place to grow up….that is the reason we raised Bailey up there. No gangs, race trouble…..just a peaceful town.
Yeh, I was telling Connie again this morning your story of meeting him and you being none the wiser given your age. It’s just such an immense story considering Don was almost a household name around my neck of the woods. Your town sounds comparable to where I grew up to, minus the legend mowing lawns lol.
LOL…yea mowing the lawn. That speaks to what kind of guy he was. He also helped raise the money for a new church before he died…and it’s being used now.
Gawd, if the guy couldn’t get more monumental even after his passing. I had to pass that on as well. Thanks Max.
Oh I forgot to mention my favourite cover I’ve heard by him (up to now) is ‘If I Could Read My Mind’. What a humdinger. Ok I won’t swamp you with anymore haha
No you are fine…I love that version as well and it fit him perfectly.
Great song and, man, what an opening line: “The warden led a prisoner down the hallway to his doom.” It could be the lead to a feature article!
I also recall Max writing about his encounters with Don Williams. I don’t know of any other artist with numerous no. 1 singles on the U.S. country or any other music artist for that matter, who would cut the grass of the high school baseball field and the city park of his local community. And I’m pretty sure Williams didn’t do it for publicity. Says a lot about the man!
Yes, Max also mentioned is his original article what a stand-out opening line it has.
I couldn’t agree more with your sentiments re Don’s civic contributions and what type of man it would be to do that.