Jennings then worked as a DJ in Coolidge, Arizona, and Phoenix. He formed a rockabilly club band, The Waylors. He recorded for independent label Trend Records and A&M Records before succeeding with RCA Victor after achieving creative control.
During the 1970s, Jennings was instrumental in the inception of Outlaw country movement. He released critically acclaimed albums Lonesome, On'ry and Mean and Honky Tonk Heroes followed by hit albums Dreaming My Dreams as well as Are You Ready for the Country. In 1976, he released the album Wanted! The Outlaws with Willie Nelson, Tompall Glaser, and Jessi Colter, the first platinum country music album. That success was followed by Ol' Waylon and the hit song "Luckenbach, Texas". Jennings was featured in the 1978 album White Mansions performed by various artists documenting the lives of people in the Confederacy during the Civil War. The songs on the album were written by Paul Kennerley. By the early 1980s, Jennings was struggling with a cocaine addiction, which he quit in 1984. Later, he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash, which released three albums between 1985 and 1995. During that period, Jennings released the successful album Will the Wolf Survive. He toured less after 1997 to spend more time with his family. Between 1999 and 2001, his appearances were limited by health problems. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died from complications of diabetes.
Jennings also appeared in films and television series. He was the balladeer for The Dukes of Hazzard, composing and singing the show's theme song and providing narration for the show. In 2001, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, which he chose not to attend. In 2007, he was posthumously awarded the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award by the Academy of Country Music.
Jennings's music was characterized by his "powerful" singing voice, noted by his "rough-edged quality", as well as his phrasing and texture. He was also recognized for his "spanky-twang" guitar style. To create his sound, he used a pronounced 'phaser' effect' plus a mixture of thumb and fingers during the rhythmic parts, while using picks for the lead runs. He combined hammer-on and pull-off riffs, with eventual upper-fret double stops and modulation effects. Jennings played a 1953 Fender Telecaster, a used guitar that was a gift from The Waylors. Jennings's bandmates adorned his guitar with a distinctive leather cover that featured a black background with a white floral work. Jennings further customized it by filing down the frets to lower the strings on the neck to obtain the slapping sound. Among his other guitars, Jennings used a 1950 Fender Broadcaster from the mid-1970s, until he gave it to guitarist Reggie Young in 1993. The leather covers of his guitars were carved by leather artist Terry Lankford.
His signature image was characterized by his long hair and beard, as well as his black hat and the black leather vest he wore during his appearances.
Jennings's music had a major influence on several neotraditionalist and alternative country artists, including Hank Williams Jr., The Marshall Tucker Band,[124] Travis Tritt, Steve Earle, Jamey Johnson, John Anderson, his son, Shooter Jennings, Sturgill Simpson, and Hank Williams III.
In 2008, his first posthumous album, Waylon Forever, was released. The album consisted of songs recorded with his son Shooter when he was 16. In 2012, Waylon: The Music Inside a three-volume project, consisting of covers of Jennings's songs by different artists, was released. The same year, it was announced for September the release of Goin' Down Rockin': The Last Recordings, a set of 12 songs recorded by Jennings and bassist Robby Turner before his death in 2002. Jennings's family was reluctant to release any new material because they did not feel comfortable at the time. The songs only featured Jennings and Turner on the bass, while further accompaniment would be added later. Ten years after, Turner completed the recordings with the help of former Waylors. The Jennings family approved the release despite the launch of a new business focused on his estate. Shooter Jennings arranged deals for a clothing line, while also launching a renewed website, and started talks with different producers about the making of a biographical film.
Clyde
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Set on the porch ain't got no shoes pickin' the bass and singin' the blues
Misery loves company this old dog sings harmony
Tambourine tied to his tail you can hear him moan you can hear him wail yeah
Jodie baby she got the dollar down the road you can hear her holler
Get up Clyde we got things to do that old dog's singin' the blues
He don't move he don't flinch Clyde he don't move an inch
Set on the porch ain't got no shoes pickin' the bass and singin' the blues
Clyde played electric bass
The lyrics in Waylon Jennings's "Clyde" are a tribute to a fictional character named Clyde who plays the electric bass guitar with finesse and grace. The song depicts Clyde sitting on his porch without shoes, picking the bass and singing the blues. Clyde's sole companion is a miserable old dog who sings harmony with him, and his only musical accompaniment is a tambourine tied to the dog's tail, which moans and wails as Clyde plays his music.
The song's lyrics suggest that despite Clyde's and his companion's difficult life, they find solace in music as a way of coping with their struggles. When Jodie baby comes around looking for some help, they continue playing and singing. The song ends with Clyde still playing his bass, lonesome and entranced by the blues.
Overall, "Clyde" is a song about the power of music to ease pain and unite people, even in the face of tough times. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a musician using his craft to find peace and connection in a challenging world.
Line by Line Meaning
Clyde plays electric bass plays it with finesse and grace
Clyde is an expert at playing electric bass and does it with skill and elegance
Set on the porch ain't got no shoes pickin' the bass and singin' the blues
Clyde can often be found sitting barefoot on the porch, playing his bass guitar and singing songs that express his troubles and sorrows
Misery loves company this old dog sings harmony
Clyde's singing attracts the attention of a nearby dog who joins in and harmonizes with him
Tambourine tied to his tail you can hear him moan you can hear him wail yeah
The dog wears a tambourine tied to his tail and makes sad and mournful noises that add to the melancholic nature of the music
Jodie baby she got the dollar down the road you can hear her holler
A woman named Jodie calls out with excitement, having won some money, from down the road where she lives and can be heard by Clyde and his companions
Get up Clyde we got things to do that old dog's singin' the blues
Clyde's friends urge him to stop playing and come join them on their errands but Clyde is reluctant to leave as the music and the dog's accompaniment have provided him comfort in his misery
He don't move he don't flinch Clyde he don't move an inch
Clyde remains still and unfazed even though his friends try to persuade him, indicating that he is determined to continue playing his music
Set on the porch ain't got no shoes pickin' the bass and singin' the blues
Once again, the song reinforces that Clyde spends much of his time sitting shoeless on his porch, playing his bass, and singing the blues to alleviate his pain and sadness
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind