1) The Highwaymen was an Am… Read Full Bio ↴There are two artists sharing this name;
1) The Highwaymen was an American country music supergroup, composed of four of the genre's biggest artists, known for their pioneering influence on the outlaw country subgenre: Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. Active between 1985 and 1995, the group recorded three major label albums as The Highwaymen: two on Columbia Records and one for Liberty Records. Their Columbia works produced three chart singles, including the number one "Highwayman" in 1985.
Between 1996 and 1999, Nelson, Kristofferson, Cash, and Jennings also provided the voice and dramatization for the Louis L'Amour Collection, a four-CD box set of seven Louis L'Amour stories published by the HighBridge Company, although the four were not credited as "The Highwaymen" in this work.
Besides the four formal members of the group, only one other vocal recording artist appeared on a Highwaymen recording: Johnny Rodriguez, who provided Spanish vocal on "Deportee", a Woody Guthrie composition, from "Highwayman".
The four original members starred in a movie together: the 1986 film Stagecoach.
2) The Highwaymen were a collegiate folk group from the 1960s who had a significant impact on the folk scene of that time and remain famous for the song "Michael" and "Cotton Fields." Formed in 1958 while the band members were at college, the group broke up in 1964 after releasing eight albums and ten singles. They reunited in 1987, minus Chan Daniels (who died in 1975), for a concert for their 25th college reunion. Between then and 2009, the band has performed ten to twelve concerts a year. Today, two of the original five members (Steve Butts and Steve Trott) are still alive, with Dave Fisher dying on May 7, 2010, Gil Robbins (father of actor Tim Robbins) dying on April 5, 2011, and Bob Burnett dying on December 8, 2011.
Jim I Wore a Tie Today
The Highwaymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jim, I did everything that I could
But your fever just wouldn't die down
So I tied your horse to the wagon bed
And last night I brought you to town.
But when I got there you were gone Jim
I bought you a suit and a tie Jim
And today I wore one too.
Jim I wore a tie today
The first one that I ever wore
And you'd have said I looked like a dummy
Out of a dry goods store.
Jim they said a lot of things
But I don't know a thing they said
My mind kept wanderin' off down the trail
Back to the times that we've had.
(Wind her through sun and the rain)
And for gold on the cuff
We've done everything in the book I guess
And a lot they'd never thought up.
Well Jim, you're ridin' on ahead
I guess that's how it has be
But when you reach those streets paved with gold Jim
Stake a claim out for me...
The Highwaymen's song Jim I Wore a Tie Today is a tribute to a friend named Jim who has passed away. The singer recalls his last moments with Jim, expressing his grief and reminiscing about their past memories. The song starts with the singer explaining how he took Jim to the town when he was sick and couldn't be cured, so he tied his horse to the wagon and brought him, but he had already passed. The singer then goes on to tell how he bought Jim a suit and a tie and wore one himself, remembering Jim's witty comments and how he would have called him a dummy for wearing a tie.
The song reflects on their days of adventure and the things they did together while also hinting at the different paths they have taken since then. The song's last lines show the singer's belief that Jim will be in heaven and requests him to stake a claim for him on those golden streets. The song talks about the inevitability of death and how life is a journey, and everyone must take different paths.
Line by Line Meaning
Jim, I did everything that I could
I tried everything in my power to save you, Jim
But your fever just wouldn't die down
However, your fever wouldn't subside
So I tied your horse to the wagon bed
I secured your horse to the back of the wagon
And last night I brought you to town.
And I brought you to the nearest town last night.
But when I got there you were gone Jim
When I arrived, you had already left, Jim
And there was nothin' nobody could do
Unfortunately, there was nothing anyone could do to save you
I bought you a suit and a tie Jim
I purchased a suit and a tie for you, Jim
And today I wore one too.
Today, I wore a tie for the first time ever
The first one that I ever wore
It was my first time wearing a tie
And you'd have said I looked like a dummy
You would have mocked me and said I looked foolish
Out of a dry goods store.
Like someone who just walked out of a general store
Jim they said a lot of things
People said a lot of things, Jim
But I don't know a thing they said
But their words didn't register with me
My mind kept wanderin' off down the trail
My thoughts kept drifting back to our past adventures
Back to the times that we've had.
Back to the memories we've shared.
Wind her through sun and the rain
Through various weather conditions, we have persevered
And for gold on the cuff
We have done anything and everything for money
We've done everything in the book I guess
We've done every job that came our way, I suppose
And a lot they'd never thought up.
As well as many things they never could have imagined
Well Jim, you're ridin' on ahead
You're riding ahead, Jim
I guess that's how it has be
I guess that's just how it has to be
But when you reach those streets paved with gold Jim
But when you reach the afterlife, Jim
Stake a claim out for me...
Please make sure to save a spot for me
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CINDY WALKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind