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.
Waymore's Blues
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Around the curve come a passenger train
Heard somebody yodel and a hobo moan
Jimmy he's dead, he's been a long time gone
Been a long time gone, a long time gone
If you want to get to heaven, gotta D-I-E
You gotta put on your coat and T-I-E
You gotta make a commotion like D-O-G
Like D-O-G, like D-O-G, yeah
Well, I got a good woman, what's the matter with me?
What makes me want to love every woman I see?
I was trifling when I met her now I'm trifling again
And every woman she sees looks like the place I came in
Looks like the place I came in, yeah, woo place I came in
I got my name painted on my shirt
I ain't no ordinary dude
I don't have to work
I don't have to work
The lyrics of Waylon Jennings's song Waymore's Blues paint a vivid picture of a morning filled with dreary weather and a train passing by, with the sounds of yodeling and moaning from hobos in the background. The mention of Jimmy being long gone adds a sense of mystery and melancholy to the atmosphere. One of the most interesting aspects of the lyrics is the chorus, which contains some playful wordplay. Waylon sings that if you want to get to heaven, you have to "D-I-E" and put on your "T-I-E." He goes on to say that if you want to get the rabbit out of the "L-O-G," you have to make a commotion like a "D-O-G." This playful use of spelling is reminiscent of old-timey blues music and is a clever way for Waylon to infuse some humor into the song.
The second verse takes a more introspective turn, with the singer reflecting on his own shortcomings. He sings of having a good woman but still feeling the urge to love every woman he sees. He acknowledges his own trifling behavior and how it has led him to constantly compare other women to his partner. The final verse sees Waylon embracing his own unique identity, with his name painted on his shirt and a sense of pride in not having to work. The way he sings "I don't have to work" with a hint of defiance and swagger makes it clear that he sees his unconventional lifestyle as a point of pride.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I woke up this mornin' it was drizzlin' rain
The singer woke up to rain falling from the sky.
Around the curve come a passenger train
The singer saw a passenger train coming around the curve.
Heard somebody yodel and a hobo moan
The singer heard someone yodeling and a hobo moaning.
Jimmy he's dead, he's been a long time gone
Been a long time gone, a long time gone
Jimmy has been dead for a long time, and the singer has been gone for a long time as well.
If you want to get to heaven, gotta D-I-E
You gotta put on your coat and T-I-E
Want to get the rabbit out of the L-O-G
You gotta make a commotion like D-O-G
Like D-O-G, like D-O-G, yeah
To go to heaven, one must die. To get a rabbit out of a log, one must make a loud noise like a dog by putting on a coat and tie.
Well, I got a good woman, what's the matter with me?
What makes me want to love every woman I see?
I was trifling when I met her now I'm trifling again
And every woman she sees looks like the place I came in
Looks like the place I came in, yeah, woo place I came in
The singer has a good woman, but for some reason, he wants to love every woman he sees. He was unfaithful when he met her, and he is being unfaithful again. Every woman his partner sees reminds him of the place where he was unfaithful.
I got my name painted on my shirt
I ain't no ordinary dude
I don't have to work
I don't have to work
The singer has his name painted on his shirt, and he believes he is not an ordinary person. He is proud to say that he does not have to work for a living.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: Curtis Buck, Waylon Jennings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
bluedream17w
Well, I woke up this mornin', it was drizzlin' rain
Around the curve come a passenger train
Heard somebody yodel and a hobo moan
Jimmy he's dead, he's been a long time gone
Been a long time gone, a long time gone
If you want to get to heaven, gotta d-i-e
You gotta put on your coat and t-i-e
want to get the rabbit out of the l-o-g
You gotta make a cold motion like d-o-g
Like d-o-g, like d-o-g, yeah
Well, I got a good woman, what's the matter with me?
What makes me want to love every woman I see?
I was trifling when I met her now I'm trifling again
And every woman she sees looks like the place I came in
Looks like the place I came in place I came in
I got my name painted on my shirt
I ain't no ordinary dude
I don?t have to work
I don?t have to work
waymoreblues
I’ve heard this song 5 thousand times and it never gets old.
It’s as pure as music gets!! Whoop!!!
Edward Rivera
On repeat for me
J Martin
I'm addicted to this.....
guitar duo
Hell yeah!!
Calvin Taylor
Never ever gets old listening to ...love it!
DETH Metal Viking
Believe it or not, I'm a metalhead. I listen to Cannibal Corpse, and Hank Williams. I think Waylon Jennings is one of the greatest vocalists of all time.
Tomatopower
DETH Metal Viking Hell yeah!
Let them go, no, torture them slow
Trev-556
Me too. Good music is good music.
Fletcher Morris
DETH Metal Viking hell yeah man long live metal and long live outlaw country.
James Hoffman
DETH Metal Viking same here brother, love heaviest of metal but also get down with outlaw country! Also dig the blues a ton too