Today, country singer/songwriter Sam Williams shares “The World: Alone” in honor of his late sister Katie Williams’ 28th birthday. Reflecting on the fragility of life, “The World: Alone” was written a year ago but has taken on a new meaning for Williams in the wake of Katie’s passing. Sam will share the new song in an upcoming interview with Apple Music’s Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen, which airs tomorrow, October 22.
Listen to “The World: Alone” on all platforms: smarturl.it/TheWorldAlone
“The day I wrote ‘The World: Alone,’ I was in a phase of manifestation,” explains Williams. “I thought it would be interesting to take how my heart was feeling that day and compound it with my dream to tour Europe. I threw some cities into the verses and poured my heart out about wanting to show my love for the great world out there.”
“The sad thing is we don’t always get that chance,” he continues. “A year later my sister was tragically killed in June. As the months went by, when I would come back to this song, it touched me in a different way. I realized that I wrote this song, a year prior, about how badly I wanted to show Katie the world. I had no idea I would ever lose her. One day I had an epiphany that she is with God and can see the entire world now, without my help. I wanted to honor her with releasing this song on her birthday, because she was always so proud of my career.”
The grandson of country pioneer Hank Williams and the son of outlaw legend Hank Jr., Sam Williams is the latest in a long line of American originals, but he’s not here for the sake of tradition. He sings with his own singular voice and he writes in his own singular style, fusing gut-wrenching honesty and plainspoken poetics with raw vulnerability and deep empathy. Suffering such a sudden loss this year has been profoundly devastating for Williams, but the journey of grief and self-discovery he has found himself on has led to a deeper understanding of his purpose in life and inspired him to honor his legacy with truth and integrity.