Sissy Spacek - Hangin' Up My Heart

This month marks the thirtieth anniversary of Hangin’ Up My Heart, the first studio album for actress Sissy Spacek. Having done an amazing job in the 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter (her Oscar winning performance in the biography of country star Loretta Lynn), Spacek hit the studio for this 1983 release to continue to explore her musical side. The results resonated with fans, climbing all the way to number 17 on the US Billboard Country chart.


The album opens with the mid-tempo title track. “Hangin’ Up My Heart” is a response to heartbreak by resigning oneself to never falling in love again.

“Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” was the B-side to the third single. Written in 1945 by Scotty Wiseman, this song has been covered by numerous artists over the decades including Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ricky Nelson, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, and Ringo Starr to name but a few.

“He Don’t Know Me” was penned by Spacek herself. It actually has a bit of an 80’s edge to it; I think it could have easily crossed over into the pop charts of the time had it been a single.

“Lonely But Only For You” was the first single; it charted at number 110 on the US Billboard Hot 200, number 15 on the US Billboard Country chart, and number 13 on the Canadian Country chart. The lyrics tell of a single young woman who pines for a former love.

“This Time I’m Gonna Beat You to the Truck” is a rousing, danceable number to close out the side. It features a searing saxophone solo.

Side two begins with “Honky Tonkin’”, a cover of the 1948 hit by Hank Williams. Spacek’s version is a bouncing bundle of country fun.

The B-side to the first single was “Old Home Town”. This sweet ballad is comforting and welcome like a warm blanket, just out of the dryer, on a cold and snowy night. I just want to get wrapped up and lost in it.

Spacek collaborated with Loretta Lynn on the writing of “Smooth Talkin’ Daddy”, a song about how a woman has to be prepared to handle guys who are operators. It has some cool guitar riffs to it, especially on the chorus.

The third single “If You Could Only See Me Now” stalled at number 79 on the US Billboard Country chart. The lyrics tell of a woman who has moved on from a bad relationship and has gotten back on her feet without anyone’s help.

The final track “If I Can Just Get Through the Night” was also the second single. It reached number 57 on the US Billboard Country chart and number 41 on the Canadian Country chart.

I like my country music to have a little bit of a pop flavor to it, and Sissy Spacek delivers that on Hangin’ Up My Heart. I definitely found it to be an entertaining listen on Spotify. It shows that the actress has a love for the country music genre and the ability to sing songs from it with a pleasing confidence. The album serves as a good companion to the Coal Miner’s Daughter soundtrack.