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.
The Road
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
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Straighter than a preacher, longer than a memory
And it goes forever onward
It's been a good teacher for a lot of country boys like me
I push that load from here to someday
I'll push as long as I'm alive, but I don't know how long I'll last
'Cause it's just a road, it ain't no highway
I've been down this road just searchin' for the end
And it don't go nowhere, it just brings you back again
Leaves you lonely and cold, standin' on the shoulder
But you've come too far to go back home
So you're walkin' on a nowhere road
Some folks say, if you keep rollin'
And keepin' in the yellow line, it'll take you to the big highway
But there's a toll to pay, so if you're goin'
The keeper at the gate is blind so you better be prepared to pay
I've been down this road just searchin' for the end
And it don't go nowhere, it just brings you back again
Leaves you lonely and cold, standin' on the shoulder
But you've come too far to go back home
So you're walkin' on a nowhere road
"Nowhere Road" by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson is a contemplative ballad that explores the idea of the journey being more important than the destination. The song is centered around the idea that there’s a road in Oklahoma that stretches on forever, and that this road is a symbol of life itself. It’s a tough and lonely road, but it’s one that many people have traveled before, and it’s one that they will continue to travel.
The lyrics of this song are both contemplative and philosophical, with each verse offering a different perspective on the road and what it represents. The opening verse introduces the road as a teacher, a straight and unrelenting presence in the lives of country boys like the singers. The second verse shifts focus to the singer's own experience on the road, with a sense of driving aimlessly, without a clear goal or end in sight.
The third verse expands on the theme of the journey being more important than the destination, with a warning about the tolls that must be paid along the way. The final verse loops back to the beginning, repeating the idea that the road doesn't go anywhere, but that we keep walking nonetheless, because we've come too far to turn back now. The song ultimately encourages us to embrace the journey itself, even if the eventual destination remains uncertain.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a road in Oklahoma
This song is about a specific road in Oklahoma that is long and straight.
Straighter than a preacher, longer than a memory
The road is very straight and seems to go on forever.
And it goes forever onward
The road seems to have no end.
It's been a good teacher for a lot of country boys like me
The road has taught many people, especially country boys like the singer, important life lessons.
I push that load from here to someday
The singer is pushing his problems and responsibilities down the road until he can deal with them someday.
I'll push as long as I'm alive, but I don't know how long I'll last
The singer will keep pushing his load as long as he can, but he is uncertain how much time he has left to do so.
'Cause it's just a road, it ain't no highway
The road is not a major highway with all the resources and maintenance that come with it.
Blowin' by the double five, I know I'm goin' way too fast
The singer is driving very fast, which is dangerous on this long and straight road.
Some folks say, if you keep rollin'
Some people believe that if you keep going down this road, you will eventually reach a major highway.
And keep it on the yellow line, it'll take you to the big highway
If you stay on the yellow line in the middle of the road, you will eventually reach a major highway.
But there's a toll to pay, so if you're goin'
There is a price to pay if you want to reach the major highway at the end of this road.
The keeper of the gate is blind so you better be prepared to pay
The person who controls access to the major highway cannot see, so you need to be ready to pay the toll just in case.
I've been down this road just searchin' for the end
The singer has been on this road before, hoping to reach the end.
And it don't go nowhere, it just brings you back again
The road does not lead anywhere, it just takes you back where you started.
Leaves you lonely and cold, standin' on the shoulder
When you reach the end of the road and realize it leads nowhere, you feel lonely and empty.
But you've come too far to go back home
Even though the road doesn't lead anywhere, the singer has come too far to just turn around and go home.
So you're walkin' on a nowhere road
The singer feels stuck on this road that doesn't go anywhere, with no clear direction or purpose.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steve Earle, Reno Kling
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind