The Wild Side of Life
Encyclopedia
"The Wild Side of Life" is a song made famous by country music
singer Hank Thompson. Originally released in 1952
, the song became one of the most popular recordings in the genre's history, spending 15 weeks at No. 1 Billboard country charts
, solidified Thompson's status as a country music superstar and inspired the answer song
, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
" by Kitty Wells
.
and "Great Speckled Bird" by Roy Acuff
. That, along with the song's story of a woman shedding her role as domestic provider to follow the night life, combined to become one of the most famous country songs of the early 1950s.
According to country music historian Bill Malone, "Wild Side" co-writer William Warren was inspired to create the song after his experiences with a young woman he met when he was younger — a honky tonk angel, as it were — who "found the glitter of the gay night life too hard to resist." Fellow historian Paul Kingsbury wrote that the song appealed to people who "thought the world was going to hell and that faithless women deserved a good deal of the blame."
Jimmy Heap and His Melody Masters first recorded "Wild Side" in 1951, but never had a hit with the song. Thompson did, and his version spent three and one-half months atop the Billboard country chart in the spring and early summer of 1952.
"Wild Side" was Thompson's first charting single since 1949's two-sided hit
"Soft Lips"/"The Grass is Greener Over Yonder." Thompson had hooked up with producer Ken Nelson in the interim, and one of their first songs together was "Wild Side."
." Recorded by Kitty Wells
and released later in 1952, that song, too, became a No. 1 country hit. In "It Wasn't God ... ," Wells shifts the blame for the woman's infidelity to the man, countering that for every unfaithful woman there is a man who has led her astray.
had a top 10 hit with the song concurrent with Thompson's success, while Freddy Fender
reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in early 1976. A version by the British rock band Status Quo reached the UK top 10 in 1976. In 1981, "Wild Side" and "It Wasn't God ..." were combined into a duet by Waylon Jennings
and Jessi Colter
on their album Leather and Lace
; that version reached No. 10.
Maury Finney
recorded an instrumental saxophone
version in 1976. As the b-side to his single "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms
," it charted at #78 on the country music charts.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Hank Thompson. Originally released in 1952
1952 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1952.- Events :* July 14 — The Eddy Arnold Show, a brief summer replacement series, debuts on CBS-TV.* August 23 — Kitty Wells becomes the first female solo artist to score a No...
, the song became one of the most popular recordings in the genre's history, spending 15 weeks at No. 1 Billboard country charts
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
, solidified Thompson's status as a country music superstar and inspired the answer song
Answer song
An answer song is, as the name suggests, a song made in answer to a previous song, normally by another artist. It is also known as a response song. The concept became widespread in blues and R&B recorded music in the 1930s through 1950s...
, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
"It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" is a 1952 country song written by J. D. "Jay" Miller, and originally recorded by Kitty Wells. It was an answer song to the Hank Thompson hit "The Wild Side of Life."...
" by Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells
Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
.
Song history
"The Wild Side of Life" carries one of the most distinctive melodies of early country music, used in "I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes" by the Carter FamilyCarter Family
The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country...
and "Great Speckled Bird" by Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
. That, along with the song's story of a woman shedding her role as domestic provider to follow the night life, combined to become one of the most famous country songs of the early 1950s.
According to country music historian Bill Malone, "Wild Side" co-writer William Warren was inspired to create the song after his experiences with a young woman he met when he was younger — a honky tonk angel, as it were — who "found the glitter of the gay night life too hard to resist." Fellow historian Paul Kingsbury wrote that the song appealed to people who "thought the world was going to hell and that faithless women deserved a good deal of the blame."
Jimmy Heap and His Melody Masters first recorded "Wild Side" in 1951, but never had a hit with the song. Thompson did, and his version spent three and one-half months atop the Billboard country chart in the spring and early summer of 1952.
"Wild Side" was Thompson's first charting single since 1949's two-sided hit
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
"Soft Lips"/"The Grass is Greener Over Yonder." Thompson had hooked up with producer Ken Nelson in the interim, and one of their first songs together was "Wild Side."
Answer song
The lyric, "I didn't know God made honky tonk angels," and the tune's overall cynical attitude — Kingsbury noted the song "... just begged for an answer from a woman" — inspired "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk AngelsIt Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels
"It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" is a 1952 country song written by J. D. "Jay" Miller, and originally recorded by Kitty Wells. It was an answer song to the Hank Thompson hit "The Wild Side of Life."...
." Recorded by Kitty Wells
Kitty Wells
Ellen Muriel Deason , known professionally as Kitty Wells, is an American country music singer. Her 1952 hit recording, "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels", made her the first female country singer to top the U.S. country charts, and turned her into the first female country star...
and released later in 1952, that song, too, became a No. 1 country hit. In "It Wasn't God ... ," Wells shifts the blame for the woman's infidelity to the man, countering that for every unfaithful woman there is a man who has led her astray.
Cover versions
There have been many cover versions of "The Wild Side of Life," several of which became hits in their own right. Burl IvesBurl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
had a top 10 hit with the song concurrent with Thompson's success, while Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender
Freddy Fender , born Baldemar Garza Huerta in San Benito, Texas, United States, was a Mexican-American Tejano, country and rock and roll musician, known for his work as a solo artist and in the groups Los Super Seven and the Texas Tornados...
reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in early 1976. A version by the British rock band Status Quo reached the UK top 10 in 1976. In 1981, "Wild Side" and "It Wasn't God ..." were combined into a duet by Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
and Jessi Colter
Jessi Colter
Jessi Colter is an American country music artist who is best known for her collaboration with her husband, country singer and songwriter Waylon Jennings and for her 1975 country-pop crossover hit "I'm Not Lisa"....
on their album Leather and Lace
Leather and Lace
Leather and Lace is a duet album by Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, released on RCA Victor in 1981. It was the famous couple's first album together, though they had sung individual duets together prior to the release of Leather and Lace. "You Never Can Tell " is a well-known Chuck Berry song...
; that version reached No. 10.
Maury Finney
Maury Finney
Maury Finney is an American country music saxophonist. Between 1976 and 1980, he recorded for the Soundwaves record label. Finney charted twelve times on the Billboard country singles charts...
recorded an instrumental saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
version in 1976. As the b-side to his single "Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms
Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms
"Rollin' in My Sweet Baby's Arms" is a cover version, released as a single by American country music artist Buck Owens. The song was written by Lester Flatt, and first released as a single, "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms," by Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and the Foggy Mountain Boys, on December 14,...
," it charted at #78 on the country music charts.