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.
Delta Dawn
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?
And did I hear you say he was ameetin' you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky
She's forty one and her daddy still calls her baby
All the folks around Brownsville say she's crazy
'Cause she walks downtown with a suitcase in her hand
In her younger days they called her Delta Dawn
Prettiest woman you ever laid eyes on
Then a man of low degree stood by her side
And promised her he'd take her for his bride
Delta Dawn what's that flower you have on?
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?
And did I hear you say he was ameetin' you here today
To take you to his mansion in the sky
The song "Delta Dawn" by Waylon Jennings is a melancholic country ballad that tells the story of a woman who used to be beautiful and beloved, but now wanders around town, seemingly lost and disoriented. The singer addresses her with questions about the flower she is wearing, asking if it could be a faded rose from her bygone days of glory. He also mentions that she is waiting for a man to come and take her away to his mansion in the sky.
The lyrics are packed with symbolism and suggest that the woman is struggling with mental illness and perhaps poverty. The fact that she carries a suitcase and looks for a mysterious man could indicate that she is homeless or a wanderer, disconnected from reality. The lines about her father still calling her "baby" at the age of forty-one hint at a dysfunctional family dynamic, and the way she is regarded by the other people in town as "crazy" adds to the sense of alienation and despair.
Overall, "Delta Dawn" is a poignant song that paints a vivid picture of a woman who has lost her way in life and is desperately searching for something or someone to hold on to.
Line by Line Meaning
Delta Dawn what's that flower you have on?
Waylon Jennings is curious about the flower Delta Dawn is wearing and asks what it is.
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?
Waylon Jennings wonders if the flower could be a rose from the past that has lost its color and beauty.
And did I hear you say he was ameetin' you here today
Waylon Jennings thinks he may have heard Delta Dawn say that someone is meeting her here today.
To take you to his mansion in the sky
Waylon Jennings speculates that the person who is meeting Delta Dawn may be taking her to heaven.
She's forty one and her daddy still calls her baby
Delta Dawn is 41 years old, but her father still refers to her as his baby.
All the folks around Brownsville say she's crazy
The people around Brownsville think that Delta Dawn is insane.
'Cause she walks downtown with a suitcase in her hand
Delta Dawn is often seen walking around downtown Brownsville with a suitcase in hand.
Lookin' for a mysterious dark-haired man
Delta Dawn is searching for a mysterious man with dark hair.
In her younger days they called her Delta Dawn
Delta Dawn was known by that name when she was younger.
Prettiest woman you ever laid eyes on
Delta Dawn was the most beautiful woman anyone had ever seen.
Then a man of low degree stood by her side
Delta Dawn was with a man who was of lower social status than her.
And promised her he'd take her for his bride
The man promised Delta Dawn he would marry her.
Delta Dawn what's that flower you have on?
Waylon Jennings repeats his earlier question, asking Delta Dawn once again about her flower.
Could it be a faded rose from days gone by?
Waylon Jennings repeats his earlier speculation, wondering yet again if the flower is a faded rose.
And did I hear you say he was ameetin' you here today
Waylon Jennings repeats his earlier question, confirming if Delta Dawn did indeed mention someone would meet her today.
To take you to his mansion in the sky
Waylon Jennings again speculates that the man meeting Delta Dawn may be taking her to heaven.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alex Harvey, Larry Collins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind