My 100 Favorite Charted Country Songs: That’s What It’s Like to Be Lonesome

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With a song title like that, I do NOT have to tell you that this is a country song. So I’ll just say we’re welcoming back a frequently visitor, usually as a songwriter, for his only appearance as a singer on this countdown. That’s What It’s Like to Be Lonesome - Bill Anderson After writing “City Lights,” Bill Anderson, a 20-year-old journalism major at the University of Georgia at the time, got a record deal with Decca. This was his first hit, the first in a long string of songs on the chart for him either as a singer or a writer (see all of the previous songs on this list that he wrote ). He even went to the pop charts in 1962 with “Still.” His soft-spoken delivery style prompted comedian/singer/songwriter Don Bowman to tag him with his legendary nickname: “Whisperin’ Bill.” The original 45 of this song had one of the glaring problems of old recording techniques: you could hear the “bleed-through” from a not-too-well-erased earlier take on the tape. Maybe that’s one of the reasons this song resonated with me. Then again, it’s just a terrific song from a terrific songwriter….and a better gentleman. That’s What It’s Like to Be Lonesome Written by Bill Anderson Recorded by Bill Anderson Released as a single, 1958 Peak chart position: #12 Today’s rock song: “Spaceman” You search to find a tavern: