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.
Whistlers And Jugglers
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't say that anyone's...Doin' me wrong
Cause I allways knew....That the girl had a weakness
For whistlers and jugglers....and singers of songs
Now she was a child...Back when I first met her
And the woman inside her...Was just bein' born
And I knew she'd come with me...Cause she had a fever
And the whistler will whistle her...A song she can dance to
And jugglers will cheer her...When she starts to cry
The singer will sing her.....A bed of red roses]
Where she might let you....lie by her side
She'll laugh in the face...of the wealthy and famous
And you'll never lose her..To the handsome or strong
But all of your life son...Watch over your shoulder
For whistlers and jusgglers...and singers of songas..
Repeat the chorus..........
In Waylon Jennings's song Whistlers and Jugglers, the singer confidently suggests to his friend to take the lady while he takes the lesson in life. He believes that no one is doing him wrong despite knowing about the weakness of the girl he loves. The woman is fascinated by whistlers and jugglers and singers of songs. The singer met her while she was still a child, and the woman inside her was just being born. With a high fever for the performers, he knew she would go with him.
The woman finds solace and joy in the performances of the whistlers, jugglers, and singers. The whistler would play her song with a beat she could dance to, while the jugglers would cheer her even when she starts to cry. The singer would serenade her with a bed of red roses, where he might get the chance to lie by her side. She laughs at the faces of the wealthy and famous and is not swayed by the handsome or strong. The singer warns his friend to watch over his shoulder for the performers since the woman he loves cannot resist the charm of the whistlers and jugglers and singers of songs.
The song exemplifies the bond between music and human emotions. Music can soothe, excite, and heal, and the performers in the song act as a metaphor for the temporary respite that music can offer. The mention of the woman being like a child before and the woman inside her being born suggest a transition from childhood to adulthood and the transformative power of experiences on one's personality.
Line by Line Meaning
You take the lady...I'll take the lesson
I'll learn from mistakes with her, while you pursue your interests
I can't say that anyone's...Doin' me wrong
I don't feel betrayed or deceived by anyone
Cause I allways knew....That the girl had a weakness
I always knew that she had a preference for certain talents
For whistlers and jugglers....and singers of songs
She was fond of people who could perform oral entertainment
Now she was a child...Back when I first met her
She was young when we first became acquainted
And the woman inside her...Was just bein' born
She was experiencing a transition from a girl to a grown-up
And I knew she'd come with me...Cause she had a fever
I knew she would accompany me due to her passion for certain things
For whistlers and jugglers...and singers of songs.
She had great admiration for people with unique talents and abilities
And the whistler will whistle her...A song she can dance to
A skilled whistler will create a tune that will make her want to dance
And jugglers will cheer her...When she starts to cry
Jugglers will make her happy even when she's upset
The singer will sing her.....A bed of red roses]
A singer will compose a romantic song that evokes images of red roses
Where she might let you....lie by her side
The song will be so pleasant that she may allow you to be close to her
She'll laugh in the face...of the wealthy and famous
She will find humor in the attitudes of those with wealth and fame
And you'll never lose her..To the handsome or strong
She won't be swayed by physical attractiveness or brawn
But all of your life son...Watch over your shoulder
You should always be cautious and attentive
For whistlers and jusgglers...and singers of songas..
Be wary of people with unique abilities and talents, like whistlers, jugglers, and singers
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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