"Let Me Go, Devil" is a song written in 1953

1953 in music

-Events:*February 6 – Contralto Kathleen Ferrier, already terminally ill with cancer, leaves Covent Garden Opera House on a stretcher after being taken ill on the second night of her run in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice....

 by Jenny Lou Carson

Jenny Lou Carson

Jenny Lou Carson, , born Virginia Lucille Overstake, was an American country music singer-songwriter and the first woman to write a No. 1 country music hit...

. Carson greatly admired the talents of Hank Williams. Williams' battle with alcoholism

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...

 and subsequent death inspired her to write the song.

It was first recorded on July 2, 1953 by Wade Ray, followed a few weeks later by Georgie Shaw

Georgie Shaw

Georgie Shaw was an American popular musician, born George Shoester in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He recorded a song called "Let Me Go, Devil," which was about alcoholism. It was later rewritten as "Let Me Go, Lover!." Another song that he originally recorded which became a hit later when recorded...

, Johnny Bond

Johnny Bond

Cyrus Whitfield Bond , known professionally as Johnny Bond, was a popular American country music entertainer of the 1940s through the 1960s.-Biography:...

 and Tex Ritter

Tex Ritter

Woodward Maurice Ritter , better known as Tex Ritter, was an American country music singer and movie actor popular from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter family in acting...

.

In 1954, then Columbia Records

Columbia Records

Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...

 producer Mitch Miller

Mitch Miller

Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...

 felt the song as written was too depressing for pop audiences and suggested that "Devil" be changed to "Lover". The pop song writing team of Fred Wise

Fred Wise (lyricist)

Fred Wise was the co-writer of the lyrics to the 1948 song "'A' — You're Adorable" with Buddy Kaye. He subsequently wrote many of the songs sung by Elvis Presley in his movies....

, Kay Twomey, and Ben Weisman

Ben Weisman

Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971...

 writing under the pseudonym Al Hill, were hired to rewrite the lyrics. The song became the major 1954

1954 in music

-Events:*January 14 - First documented use of the abbreviated term "Rock 'n' Roll" to promote Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Jubillee, held at St. Nicholas Arena in New York, New York...

-1955

1955 in music

-Events:*January 1 – RCA Victor announces a marketing plan called "Operation TNT." The label drops the list price on LPs from $5.95 to $3.98, EPs from $4.95 to $2.98, 45 EPs from $1.58 to $1.49 and 45's from $1.16 to $.89...

 hit, "Let Me Go, Lover!

Let Me Go, Lover!

"Let Me Go, Lover!", a popular song, was written by Jenny Lou Carson and Al Hill, a pseudonym used by Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey, and Ben Weisman. It is based on an earlier song called "Let Me Go, Devil," about alcoholism. It was featured on the television program Studio One on November 15, 1954,...

."