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.
Never Again
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time i want to go
Quite a change has come to slow me down
I've set aside an empty search
For something always wrong
And i took the time to look around
I've wandered down some lonesome lines
And slept beside the road
And i faced the day i lived alone
And drank til i was dry
Givin' up for gone down to the bone
But i don't believe i'm ever gonna roam
Again i traded all my promises on
Things that i can't keep
Keep them with my back against the wall
Changed my mind so many times i
Don't know where i stand
Lucky i can even stand at all
And i fool myself and no one
Else til daylight drove me home
Sleeping off outback the whole day long
And i don't believe i'm ever gonna roam
Again because everywhere a fool has been a
Fool has been there too
And i don't believe i'm ever gonna roam
Again
The lyrics to Waylon Jennings's song I May Never Pass This Way Again are about an older man warning a young girl about the dangers of immaturity and impulsiveness. He tells her that she should not be so quick to give her love away so freely and that she should not throw herself at him. The girl is only in her teens but looks much older, and the man tells her that she is running ahead of life when it has only just begun. He urges her to make the most of her youth and not waste it on him, as he may never pass her way again.
The man tells the girl that she should go home to her parents, who are waiting for her, before he loses control and does something he regrets. He warns her that he may end up crossing a bridge and leaving her behind to pay the toll. The girl is urged to wait for someone who is more suitable for her, and the man tells her that someday she will wonder what she ever saw in him.
The song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of youth and the importance of making the most of it. It highlights the importance of being responsible, safe, and mature when it comes to relationships and life decisions. It is a reminder that life is short and that we should make the most of it while we can, as we may never pass this way again.
Line by Line Meaning
Little girl don't be so quit to give your love so free
Don't give yourself away too easily, take your time to find true love
Little girl what makes you want to throw yourself with me
Why are you interested in me and why are you rushing into things?
Just in your teens you're lookin' more like twenty one
You seem so mature for your age and it's easy to forget how young you really are
You run ahead of life when it's only just begun
You're moving too fast in life and you have plenty of time to grow and learn
Don't you know I may never pass this way again
I may not cross your path again, so think wisely about your choices
Little girl you'd better go before I'd change my mind
Leave now before I want you to stay and regret it later
Little girl walk away while you still have the time
Go now while you still have a chance to make better decisions
It's just a part of growin' up someday you'll see
These experiences are part of growing up and you will understand with time
Then you'll wonder what you ever saw in me
You may question your attraction to me later on
Mama sets home awaitin' you to call by now daddy's lookin' tired
Your parents are worrying about you and it's getting late
Wonder what can she be and what she's doin' out now late at night
They are concerned about your safety and what you might be doing at this hour
Little girl you better go before I lose all sense and my control
Leave now before I lose my self control and do something I'll regret
I'll be crossed bridge down on the road and you'll be left behind to pay the toll
I'll move on with my life and leave you to deal with the consequences of our actions
Little girl wait for him he'll soon be on his way
Wait for someone who truly cares and will treat you well
Little girl you think within what I'd do today
Consider the consequences of your decisions and how they will affect your future
Don't you know I may never pass this way again I may never pass this way again hmm
This could be our only chance, so make the right choice
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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