Patsy Cline singing “I can’t help it”

In the first version, you get the decidedly twangy voice of Hank Williams, a singer and composer who I like more as a composer than a singer. The nasal tone and overpowering steel guitar were staples of 1951 country music, which is to say that the music had not progressed that far from the 1930’s and the recordings by The Carter Family. While I won’t judge the singing, I don’t find it particularly pleasing as entertainment. The distinction that I am making is that Hank Williams can teach us a great deal about a genre, but there are better performances of his material.

One of those performances is by Patsy Cline. Under the guidance of Owen Bradley, she recorded the same song in a much slower tempo with a harmonic lead in. This performance engages me, forces me to listen to the words and creates an empathy with the singer, who is portraying the woman left behind. I am providing the lyrics, as I will with many of her songs, because she subtly changes them ever now and then. Hank stressed the past when he used the past tense (“missed”) but at the end Patsy sings the lyric in present tense (“miss”) and makes you feel the “nowness” of her pain.

Today I passed you on the street
And my heart fell at your feet
I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you
Somebody else stood by your side
And she looked so satisfied
I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you

A picture from the past came slowly stealing
As I brushed your arm and stood so close to you
Suddenly I got that old time feeling
I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you

It’s hard to know another’s lips have kissed you
And held you just the way I used to do
Heaven only knows how much I’ve missed you
I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you
Oh, I can’t help it if I’m still in love with you