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.
He Went to Paris
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That bothered him so
He was impressive, young and aggressive
Saving the world on his own
Warm summer breezes, French wine and cheeses
Put his ambition at bay
The summers and winters scattered like splinters
And four or five years slipped away
He went to England, played the piano, and married
An actress named Kim
They had a good life, she was a good wife
And bore him a young son named Jim
All of the answers and all of the questions
He locked in his attic one day
Cause he liked the quiet clean country livin'
And twenty more years slipped away
War took his baby,
Bombs killed his lady and left him
With only one eye
His body was battered, his whole world was shattered
All he could do was just cry
While the tears were falling he was recalling
Answers that he never found
So he hopped in a freighter, skidded the ocean
And left England without a sound
Now he lives in the islands, fishes the piling and drinks
His Green label each day
Writing his memoirs, losing his hearing
But he don't care what most people say
After eighty-six years of perpetual motion
If he likes you he'll smile and say
"Jimmy, some of it's magic, probably tragic,
But I had a good life all the way"
He went to Paris looking for answers to questions
That bothered him so
Waylon Jennings's "He Went to Paris" is a song about a man who goes on a journey to find answers to his pressing questions, but instead, he finds himself lost in the pleasures of life. This song explores themes of ambition, love, loss, and the passage of time.
The first verse sets the stage for the singer's journey. He goes to Paris in search of answers to the questions that are bothering him. The second verse describes how he settles into a comfortable life with his wife and son in England. He locks away his questions and answers in the attic, content with his country living. The third verse takes a dark turn as war takes away his family and leaves him physically and emotionally shattered. He goes back to the sea, where he feels alive and free.
The chorus is a repeating reminder of the man's search for answers and his eventual realization that life itself is the answer. The lyrics tell the story of someone who lived his life to the fullest, even if it didn't turn out the way he had hoped. He found joy in the simple things, like fishing and his daily Green Label, and he accepts that some parts of his life were probably tragic, but overall, it was a good life.
Overall, "He Went to Paris" is a moving story about a man's journey through life. It explores the universal themes of love, loss, and aging, and reminds us that sometimes it's the simple things in life that matter the most.
Line by Line Meaning
He went to Paris looking for answers to questions that bothered him so
He was seeking solutions to the inquiries that intrigued him
He was impressive, young and aggressive, saving the world on his own
He was a remarkable, vigorous personality who attempted to rescue the planet independently
Warm summer breezes, French wine and cheeses put his ambition at bay
The comforting atmosphere of summer in Paris, accompanied by good food and wine, lulled him into not thinking much about his aspirations
The summers and winters scattered like splinters, and four or five years slipped away
The flow of time seemed too negligible in comparison to the memories he created during those four or five years.
All of the answers and all of the questions he locked in his attic one day
He chose to shut away all the queries and clarifications he had gathered over the years in one storage room in his house.
Cause he liked the quiet clean country livin' and twenty more years slipped away
He preferred living the calm life of a countryman, which resulted in another twenty years spent that way.
War took his baby, bombs killed his lady and left him with only one eye
The circumstances of war robbed him of his child, took his wife's life, and left him with an injured eye.
His body was battered, his whole world was shattered, all he could do was just cry
The physical and emotional trauma he endured had left him devastated, and all he could do in the aftermath was cry.
While the tears were falling, he was recalling answers that he never found
During the time he spent grieving, he recollected the doubts and mysteries that he was never able to uncover.
So he hopped on a freighter, skidded the ocean and left England without a sound
Without making a commotion, he boarded a cargo ship and departed England for good.
Now he lives in the islands, fishes the piling, and drinks his Green label each day
Currently, he resides on an island, spends his time catching fish, and drinks Green Label scotch whiskey frequently.
Writing his memoirs, losing his hearing but he don't care what most people say
He composes his life history as his hearing ability declines, without being concerned about other people's thoughts or opinions.
After eighty-six years of perpetual motion, if he likes you he'll smile and say, Jimmy, some of it's magic, probably tragic, but I had a good life all the way
After many years of constant activity, he'll smile and tell you that his life, though it included some disastrous elements, was nevertheless a happy one.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY BUFFETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind