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.
Tennessee
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Once again with all the old friends
Who were so kind to me oh Tennessee
I was happy as could be
Never got too much done
But livin' sure was fun in Tennessee
This big city just depresses me
A homesick feeling possesses me
I won't be the same till I'm back there again
Tennessee guess the country boy in me
Won't ever be at ease till I feel that southern breeze in Tennessee
I won't ever be at ease
Till I feel that southern breeze in Tennessee
Waylon Jennings’s song Tennessee is a nostalgic tribute to the singer’s home state, where he grew up and gained his musical inspiration. The lyrics are reflective, expressing the deep-rooted homesickness that Jennings feels, and how he yearns to return to his roots where he was “happy as could be.” Here, Tennessee represents a simpler, more carefree time in his life, where he didn't achieve a lot, but was content with just living in his hometown surrounded by the kindness of his old friends.
The singer contrasts the warmth and simplicity of his life in Tennessee with his time in the big city, which he finds depressing, despite the kindness of the people. He admits that he has a homesick feeling that possesses him, as he acknowledges that he won’t ever be at ease until he feels the southern breeze of Tennessee, and he feels like the country boy he truly is. The last line of the song is a poignant summation of the central message, reminding the listener that the singer’s heart remains in Tennessee, and that he longs to return to his hometown to feel that sense of belonging again.
Line by Line Meaning
Tennessee, oh what I'd give to be back there
The singer longs to return to Tennessee so strongly that they would give up a lot just to be there again.
Once again with all the old friends
The singer wants to reunite with their old friends in Tennessee.
Who were so kind to me oh Tennessee
The singer remembers how kind people were to them in Tennessee.
I was happy as could be
The artist was very happy when they lived in Tennessee.
Never got too much done
The artist may not have been very productive while in Tennessee.
But livin' sure was fun in Tennessee
Despite not getting a lot done, the singer enjoyed living in Tennessee.
This big city just depresses me
The singer feels depressed in the big city they currently reside in.
Though everybody's as kind as can be
People are kind in the artist's current city, but it doesn't make up for their homesickness.
A homesick feeling possesses me
The artist feels overwhelmed by their longing for Tennessee.
I won't be the same till I'm back there again
The artist feels like they won't be complete and themselves until they return to Tennessee.
Tennessee guess the country boy in me
The singer acknowledges that their longing for Tennessee reminds them of their roots as a country person.
Won't ever be at ease till I feel that southern breeze in Tennessee
The artist won't feel truly comfortable and relaxed until they are back in Tennessee, experiencing its southern breeze.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HARLAN HOWARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind