Favorite BIG #1 HITS Through the Years: 1972 Country

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After three years’ worth of music 99% of the folks here have never heard of I decided I’d look at a #1 song from each year of the first 25 years of my life, in both country and pop. At least I’ve picked a few that people have heard of! I’ll resume the normal countdowns shortly. Meanwhile, here’s a 1972 country song that I picked. 1972 (Country): Eleven Roses - Hank Williams Jr. So this is a split: you’ve heard of Hank Jr., but you’ve probably never heard this song. In fact, unless you’re an old codger like me you probably had no clue that Hank Jr. could sing something that sounded like country music (as opposed to his southern rock-like music of the 80s). I always say I much prefer Randall before he fell off the mountain. (For those of you who don’t know: in 1975 Hank fell from a mountain, fracturing his skull, breaking numerous bones, and costing him an eye.) He was more “country” then. But then, as he said in an early song of his, he’s standing in the shadows of a mighty big man: his father, Hank Williams. Darrell McCall came up with the opening of this song when he did something for his mother: he sent her 11 roses, and told her to look in the mirror while she was holding the roses and the 12th rose would be in the reflection. Aw, ain’t that sweet? (Yep, that was my mom, too.) The sweet sentiment didn’t transfer into the song, however: it’s a man who’s done something wrong to his love (it’s never mentioned, he just says, “After what I’ve done you may not keep the roses”) and sends eleven as a gift. He uses the same line: “take the roses and look into the mirror, and the 12th rose will be looking back at you.” I have both Darrell McCall’s version and Bocephus’s hit version on my iPod. It’s a great, great song. Eleven Roses Written by Darrell McCall and Lamar Morris Recorded by Hank Williams Jr. From Eleven Roses, 1972 #1 for two weeks There’s just something about a spray of roses: