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.
I Don't Mind
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
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It used to break my heart each time you cheated
I tried to leave the Lord knows how I tried
But I stay here no matter how I'm treated and all it really cost me was my pride
But I don't mind I don't mind I did for a time but I don't mind
You and I have a perfect understanding you come and you go as you please
And I never get too angry or demanding it's hard to get mad on your knees
But I don't mind I don't mind I did for a time but I don't mind
Now my blood runs thin like water in a fountain you took all the man out of me
But I don't mind baby I don't mind I did for a time but I don't mind
The lyrics of Waylon Jennings's song I Don't Mind express a complex and troubled relationship between the singer and an unfaithful lover. The singer describes how, at first, he was deeply hurt by his lover's infidelities and tried to leave, but eventually he resigned himself to the situation and now endures the pain with no complaint. The singer characterizes himself as a weak, emasculated figure who has lost his pride and strength in the face of the lover's actions, but he still maintains a kind of resignation and acceptance of his fate. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the singer's declaration that he "doesn't mind" the situation, suggesting a mix of apathy, bitterness, and resignation.
One of the most striking features of the lyrics is the contrast between the singer's initial anger and hurt and his eventual acceptance of the lover's behavior. The lines "It used to break my heart each time you cheated / I tried to leave the Lord knows how I tried" convey a sense of intense pain and frustration, but the later lines show that the singer has given up on trying to change the situation: "But I stay here no matter how I'm treated / and all it really cost me was my pride." This shift in tone from anger to resignation is further emphasized by the repeated chorus of "I don't mind," which suggests a kind of sad resignation to a fate the singer cannot change.
Overall, the lyrics of I Don't Mind explore a complex mix of emotions, including hurt, anger, resignation, bitterness, and apathy. The singer seems to be caught in a cycle of emotional abuse, but instead of trying to fight it, he has given up and simply endures it with a kind of grim acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mind I don't mind I did for a time but I don't mind
I used to mind when you cheated on me, but I have given up on leaving you and I don't mind anymore.
It used to break my heart each time you cheated
I was deeply hurt when you cheated on me.
I tried to leave the Lord knows how I tried
I attempted to leave you several times, but I couldn't do it.
But I stay here no matter how I'm treated and all it really cost me was my pride
I have stayed with you despite how you treat me, but the only thing I have lost is my pride.
You and I have a perfect understanding you come and you go as you please
We have an agreement where you can come and go as you please without consequences.
And I never get too angry or demanding it's hard to get mad on your knees
I do not feel angry or entitled to your loyalty, as I am always begging for your love and attention.
Once I was strong as a mountain I stood tall like a giant oak tree
I used to be confident and unyielding, but you have weakened me over time.
Now my blood runs thin like water in a fountain you took all the man out of me
You have drained me of my energy and masculinity, and I am now weak and submissive.
But I don't mind baby I don't mind I did for a time but I don't mind
Despite everything that has happened, I am still committed to staying with you and I no longer feel upset about it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, O/B/O DistroKid, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HOWARD, JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind