Tex Williams: Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)
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Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) was conceived as a novelty song. Usually, that means that it might sell some, but the song will then be forgotten. Indeed, this is Tex Williams’ only real claim to fame. But the song has endured, and many artists have covered it over the years. Perhaps this is a testament to the talent of the song’s author, one Merle Travis. Travis was basically an unknown when he wrote Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!, but he would later become famous for Sixteen Tons and Dark as the Dungeon. Eventually, Travis would record his own version of Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! as well.