Cold Songs Top Ten: The Cold Hard Facts of Life (#1)

Video screen grab
@FourWalls (69500)
United States
December 29, 2022 10:39am CST
Next month I’ll be doing a month of favorite Oscar-nominated songs. But for now, on this day warm enough here to melt all that S-stuff we had over the weekend, here’s my favorite song with “cold” in the title. #1: The Cold Hard Facts of Life - Porter Wagoner Linda? Porter Wagoner???? Well, my, my, isn’t this a vindictive little piece of fiction??? I love Bill Anderson. I’ve met him a number of times, and even interviewed him for Lefthanders magazine in 1992. But that has nothing to do with how great I think this song is. Talk about some incredible lines? “I drove around the block ‘til I was dizzy”? “I drank a fifth of courage and walked in”?? And that terrific kiss-off at the end (“I guess I’ll go to hell or I’ll rot here in this cell, but who taught who the cold hard facts of life?”)?!!?!!! Yeah, country music got its reputation from songs like this. The reputation has seldom lived up to this greatness. Thanks for reading. The Cold Hard Facts of Life Written by Bill Anderson Recorded by Porter Wagoner From The Cold Hard Facts of Life, 1967 You know the rest:
Your browser isn’t supported anymore. Update it to get the best YouTube experience and our latest features. Learn moreRemind me later
9 people like this
8 responses
NJ Chicaa
@NJChicaa (120407)
• United States
29 Dec 22
nope!
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
29 Dec 22
Thanks for playing. Tune in next month for 31 Oscar-nominated songs you won’t know, either!!
2 people like this
Greg
@xander6464 (44477)
• Wapello, Iowa
1 Jan 23
@FourWalls I have a sudden inexplicable urge to go to Vegas and bet $007.00 on a certain song about living and dying.
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
1 Jan 23
@xander6464 — what does it matter to ya? When you got a bet to do you gotta do it well.
1 person likes this
OceanTiara
@RebeccasFarm (90572)
• Arvada, Colorado
29 Dec 22
Oh that Porter..I do remember him..a powerful singer!! Love it Four Walls
2 people like this
OceanTiara
@RebeccasFarm (90572)
• Arvada, Colorado
30 Dec 22
@FourWalls You did? And your Mom too..I am jelly
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
30 Dec 22
My mom and Porter Wagoner, 1997. Photo taken by and the property of FourWalls.
@RebeccasFarm — yep. We did.
4 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
30 Dec 22
Got to meet him once, took my mom’s picture with him.
2 people like this
RasmaSandra
@RasmaSandra (81161)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Dec 22
This song has always reminded me of my own knowledge of the cold hard facts of life usually when all seems to be all right the other shoe drops
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
31 Dec 22
Yep, them’s cold hard facts, too. Happy new year!
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (342552)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Dec 22
That's a very typical country song. As you say, great lyrics.
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
30 Dec 22
You wonder where such a nice Christian boy like Bill Anderson got such an evil idea for a song.
2 people like this
Judy Evans
@JudyEv (342552)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Dec 22
@FourWalls Showing his dark side for a while.
2 people like this
Darcy Nemo
@YrNemo (20255)
•
31 Dec 22
I heard this before during my uni years, it is a nice song. (I rely on radios to educate me re: songs, but these days, I hardly have time to listen to radio any more.)
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
31 Dec 22
I gave up on radio about 40 years ago, when I was stationed in Hawaii and there weren’t any stations worth listening to.
2 people like this
Darcy Nemo
@YrNemo (20255)
•
1 Jan 23
@FourWalls How did you survive? (re: listening to music?)
1 person likes this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
1 Jan 23
@YrNemo — well, MTV had started by then, and I had a good-sized record collection.
1 person likes this
CarolDM
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
29 Dec 22
My Grandfather always watched the Porter Wagner show each week. He was a huge fan of Dolly's of course.
2 people like this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
29 Dec 22
Emphasis on “huge.”
2 people like this
CarolDM
@CarolDM (203422)
• Nashville, Tennessee
29 Dec 22
@FourWalls So true.
2 people like this
The Horse
@TheHorse (220831)
• Walnut Creek, California
2 Jan 23
Hmm. I wonder when Cold Hard Facts of Lies was written. Tomorrow. It feels Cold on the Shoulder here, and I'm running out of mojo.
1 person likes this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
2 Jan 23
I already used “Cold on the Shoulder,” and you missed it!
LindaOH
@LindaOHio (183039)
• United States
30 Dec 22
Ahhhhhh! Thanks for the warning.
1 person likes this
Four Walls
@FourWalls (69500)
• United States
30 Dec 22
Gotta get the songs in order for the next month, but you’ll only have to dodge one.
1 person likes this