You Can't Divorce My Heart - Lefty Frizzell

You Can't Divorce My Heart - Lefty Frizzell

2:54

single, 1955

Written by Chuck Rogers

Despite the poor-lonesome-me sentiment of the lyrics, this genuine honky-tonk country song starts with a sting of jaunty strings and guitar, until settling down into a more appropriately subdued tempo.  Over gentle drum and tinkling piano, Frizzell honks out the typical barroom country tale of woe: he's been left by his wife, but he will always love her. "The judge gave you your freedom / But you can't divorce my heart."  He reminds her of the wedding, with the parson and rice, and tells her that she'll remember her vows. He chides her with "shame and harm" she brought to him.  Yeah, but what did he do first?  There's never any accountability in these songs.

My Baby's Just Like Money - Lefty Frizzell

My Baby's Just Like Money - Lefty Frizzell

single, 1951

Written by Lefty Frizzell and Jim Beck

The sad-sack narrator of this song has some rather harsh words for his lady.  "it goes to show you're just like dough / The root of all evil / For money goes from hand to hand / And my baby goes from man to man."  Frizzell's vowel-bending, honky-tonk vocals fit this sad-sack's tale of woe.  On paper, it's rather judgmental, but in his voice, it comes off as at least a little self-deprecating and playfully scolding.  The music is pure old time country: steel guitar, fiddle, and low, brooding harmonica breaks sounding like a train whistle.