About The Song
“Farther Along” is a traditional gospel hymn that entered Hank Williams’s repertoire through his radio work rather than through a commercial MGM single. Long before Hank sang it, the song had circulated widely in Southern churches, gospel quartets, and hymnals under slightly varying titles such as “Farther Along” and “Further Along.” Its central idea — that the meaning of hardship and injustice will be revealed in the life to come — placed it firmly within the moral and spiritual tradition that Hank often drew from when he stepped away from honky-tonk themes.
The hymn’s authorship is not firmly settled, which is typical for songs that moved through oral and regional gospel traditions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is most often credited to William B. Stevens, but printed hymnals and early recordings show inconsistencies in wording and structure, suggesting the song evolved communally rather than through a single, fixed composition. By the time Hank encountered it, the hymn was already well established as a staple of rural gospel singing.
Hank Williams recorded “Farther Along” during his radio transcription years, most notably around 1949 and 1950, when he and the Drifting Cowboys were cutting programs for syndication. These included the Health & Happiness and Mother’s Best shows, which were recorded at Nashville’s WSM studios and pressed onto large transcription discs for later broadcast. Unlike MGM studio sessions, these recordings were informal and immediate, capturing Hank in a setting closer to live performance.
His rendition of “Farther Along” is restrained and plainspoken. Hank does not embellish the melody or lean into dramatic phrasing; instead, he delivers the lyric with the calm authority of a testimonial. The arrangement is sparse, allowing the message to remain front and center. This approach matched Hank’s broader handling of gospel material, where clarity and sincerity mattered more than polish or commercial appeal.
Because the song was never issued as a commercial single, it did not appear on Billboard charts during Hank’s lifetime. Its visibility instead grew through later archival releases and compilations that gathered Hank’s radio recordings. When these transcriptions were restored and reissued decades later, listeners gained a fuller picture of how frequently Hank engaged with sacred material alongside his better-known secular songs.
“Farther Along” has enjoyed a long life beyond Hank Williams’s version. Folk, country, and gospel artists across generations have recorded it, drawn to its simple structure and enduring message. Hank’s performance sits comfortably within that tradition, neither redefining the hymn nor altering its meaning, but presenting it with the same unvarnished honesty that marked his best work.
Within Hank Williams’s catalog, “Farther Along” stands as a reminder that his artistry extended beyond chart hits and heartbreak narratives. It reflects his immersion in Southern gospel culture and his ability to communicate spiritual ideas with the same directness that made his secular songs resonate. For listeners exploring his radio recordings, the song offers a quiet but revealing glimpse into the values and musical traditions that shaped him.
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Lyric
Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder why it should be thus all the day long
While there are others living about us never molested though in the wrong
Farther along we’ll know all about it farther along we’ll understand why
Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine we’ll understand it all by and by
When we see Jesus coming in glory when he comes from his home in the sky
Then we shall meet him in that bright mansion we’ll understand it all by and by
Farther along