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Tom Hiddleston Belts Out Hank Willliams’ “Hey Good Lookin'”

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

The biopic “I Saw the Light” released in 2015 received a lot of bad criticism from fans and movie critics. Well, to be honest, the actors are great, but the flow of the film was a bit boring, with no transitional moments to try to shift our emotion from one to another.

Even the actor who played the role of Hank Williams, Tom Hiddleston, was criticized for his singing because he didn’t sound close to the legendary singer.

Image result for tom hiddleston as hank williams hey good lookin'
Tom Hiddleston as Hank Williams on the film I Saw the Light. Photo via Sony Classics

Tom Hiddleston’s Version of “Hey Good Lookin'”

Yes, we agree that Hiddleston didn’t sound like Williams, and he didn’t yodel us much as the singer, but Hiddleston has a great voice, which is appropriate for other genres. Take a look on his version of Williams’ popular hit “Hey Good Lookin’.” Hiddleston performed the song with the Saddle Spring Boys.

Hiddleston sounded fine, but the southern twang and yodeling we knew of Williams were not embodied in the song. Truth is, all of Hiddleston’s singing didn’t capture the authentic style of the late country singer. This, perhaps, is what irked many fans about the movie.

This is how “Hey Good Lookin'” should have been like.

The Origin of Hank Williams’ “Hey Good Lookin'”

The song was written in 1951 by the singer, and Williams brought it on top of the country chart. It was said that Williams wrote the song for Jimmy Dickens, another well-known country singer. However, Williams recorded the song saying that the song was too good for Dickens.

“That song’s too good for you!”

The single then rose to fame and covered by a lot of artists such as Jimmy Buffett, Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb, and more. Buffett was able to make his rendition reached number eight on the chart. His version was a collaboration with other country singers including, Clint Black, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, George Strait, and Toby Keith.

Here’s Buffett’s rendition with other country singers.

What do you think of Hiddleston’s version of the song? Did you enjoy it or not?

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