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.
IT'S ALRIGHT
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like you never did before
Ain't no use in calling out my name, gal
I can't hear you anymore
When your rooster, calls at the break of dawn
Look out your window, and I'll be gone
You're the reason why I'm travelling on
Don't think twice, it's alright
Walking down that long, lonesome road, gal
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
Goodbye's too good a word, gal
So I'll just say fare thee well
Well I ain't saying that treated me unkind
You could have done better, but I don't mind
You just sort of wasted my precious time
Don't think twice, it's all right
Ain't no use in turning on your light, babe
The light I'll never know
Ain't no use in turning on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
Still, I wish there was something you would do, or say
To make me try and change my mind and stay
You never did too much talking anyways
So, don't think twice, it's alright
Ain't no use sitting in wondering why, babe
It don't matter anyhow
Ain't no use in sitting and wondering why, babe
If you, don't know by now
I'm a thinking man, wondering, all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right
The song "It's Alright" by Waylon Jennings and the Waylors is a folk song that tells a story of a man who is leaving his lover for reasons unknown. The song starts with the sense of resignation: "Ain't no use in calling my name, gal/Like you never did before/Ain't no use in calling out my name, gal/I can't hear you anymore." The man has made up his mind and he is ready to move on. He is not going to change his mind, so there is no point in trying to stop him.
He continues walking "down that long, lonesome road" without any clear destination. He doesn't want to say goodbye, so he says "fare thee well" instead. He acknowledges that his lover didn't treat him unkindly, but she wasted his time. The man is not bitter, but he knows that it is time for him to move on. He is no longer interested in staying and wants to leave everything behind.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no use in calling my name, gal
You don't need to call out to me anymore
Like you never did before
Just as you never did before
Ain't no use in calling out my name, gal
There's no need to shout for me
I can't hear you anymore
I won't hear you anymore
When your rooster, calls at the break of dawn
When your rooster crows in the morning
Look out your window, and I'll be gone
By the time you look out your window, I'll be gone
You're the reason why I'm travelling on
I'm leaving because of you
Don't think twice, it's alright
Don't worry about it, it's okay
Walking down that long, lonesome road, gal
I'm walking down a lonely path
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
I don't know where I'm headed
Goodbye's too good a word, gal
I think goodbye is too strong of a term
So I'll just say fare thee well
So I'll just bid you farewell
Well I ain't saying that treated me unkind
I'm not saying you treated me poorly
You could have done better, but I don't mind
You could have done better, but I'm not upset
You just sort of wasted my precious time
You just wasted my valuable time
Don't think twice, it's all right
It's okay, don't worry about it
Ain't no use in turning on your light, babe
You don't have to turn on your light
The light I'll never know
I'll never see that light again
I'm on the dark side of the road
I'm in a dark place right now
Still, I wish there was something you would do, or say
I still hope that you'll do or say something
To make me try and change my mind and stay
To make me reconsider and stay
You never did too much talking anyways
You were never much of a talker anyway
So, don't think twice, it's alright
It's fine, don't worry about it
Ain't no use sitting in wondering why, babe
There's no use in wondering why
It don't matter anyhow
It doesn't matter anyway
Ain't no use in sitting and wondering why, babe
It's pointless to sit and ponder
If you, don't know by now
If you don't know by now
I'm a thinking man, wondering, all the way down the road
I'm a man who thinks while traveling down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I used to love a girl when I was young
I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul
I gave her my love, but she demanded more
But don't think twice, it's all right
Don't worry about it, it's okay
Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind