An Ode to the Heartache of Honky-Tonk
The year was 1970, a time of change and turmoil, and for many, a longing for something simpler. It was within this longing that country music found its true voice, a voice that spoke of heartbreak, resilience, and the unvarnished truths of everyday life. Amidst this rich tapestry of sound, a young woman with a voice as pure as a mountain stream was beginning to make her mark. Her name was Emmylou Harris, and while she would later become a legend, her early career was a testament to her dedication to the roots of the music she loved. One of her earliest recordings, a fiery little number titled “I’ll Go Stepping Too,” is a perfect snapshot of this era, a song that encapsulates the raw emotion and defiant spirit that defined classic honky-tonk.
This track, a B-side to her 1970 single “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” never climbed the charts in its initial release. However, its lack of commercial success in no way diminishes its historical and artistic importance. It’s a gem from a time before Emmylou Harris was a household name, a time when she was still finding her footing, recording on her debut album, Gliding Bird. The song itself, a rousing duet with fellow artist Bill Payne, is a spirited take on a classic country theme: a woman’s defiant response to a cheating partner. It’s a song that turns the tables, a sharp, witty rejoinder to infidelity.
The story behind “I’ll Go Stepping Too” is less about a single dramatic event and more about the ethos of a musical movement. It harks back to an era where songs were often passed down, covered, and reinterpreted, each artist adding their own unique flavor. Originally written by legendary songwriter Ernest Tubb, the song had been a hit for him in the 1950s. Emmylou Harris’s version, however, brings a new kind of fire. Her voice, so often known for its ethereal grace and heartbreaking vulnerability, takes on a defiant edge here. Paired with Bill Payne‘s equally spirited vocals and a rollicking honky-tonk band, the song becomes a declaration of independence.
For those of us who remember a time when country music was filled with steel guitars, fiddles, and stories that felt like they were lifted right from our own lives, “I’ll Go Stepping Too” is a beautiful time capsule. It’s the sound of a jukebox on a Saturday night, the smell of spilled beer, and the shared camaraderie of a crowd singing along to a song that perfectly captured their frustration and defiance. It’s a song that says, “If you’re going to break the rules, so am I.” It’s a far cry from the polished, pop-infused country of today, and that’s precisely its charm. It is raw, unvarnished, and utterly real.
Listening to it today, you can hear the seeds of the brilliance that would blossom in Emmylou Harris’s later work. It’s not just a song; it’s a moment in time. It’s a reminder of a young artist on the cusp of greatness, of a genre that was both a sanctuary and a voice for the everyman, and of a feeling that, no matter how old we get, we’ll never truly forget. It’s a piece of our history, a little piece of honky-tonk heaven that reminds us of a time when music was less about the charts and more about the heart.