Released September 1948 Recorded April 21, 1947 Length 2:45 | ||
Six More Miles (To the Graveyard) is a song written by Hank Williams for MGM Records. It appeared as the B-side to "I Saw the Light" in 1948.
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Background
"Six More Miles (To the Graveyard)" was one of the earliest songs Hank Williams published as a songwriter; it was one of several compositions that appeared in his self-published song folios in 1945 and 1946. The original version contained a verse not heard in Hank's version: "Left her in that lonely church yard, left my darlin' alone/Now I'm sad, my heart is cryin', as I wander through life alone." Although Williams recorded the song in April 1947, it did not surface until it appeared as the B-side to "I Saw the Light" in September 1948. While the A-side celebrated the joys of salvation, the B-side was its opposite in just about every respect, describing the despairing thoughts of a man who is making his way to the graveyard to bury his deceased lover. Despite the song's dark subject matter, it did share "I Saw the Light's" swift tempo and is also a prime example of how Williams and producer Fred Rose used the slap of the guitars to create the driving percussive sound that was a trademark of honky tonk music. Williams recorded the song during his first session with MGM on April 21, 1947. The band was composed by part of Red Foley's backing, including Zeke and Zeb Turner (guitar), Brownie Raynolds (bass), Tommy Jackson (fiddle) and Smokey Lohman (steel guitar).