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.
Woman
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And spattered by the paddle of my eager hand
That Mississippi woman is a wavin' over yonder
Wavin' her lantern for her Louisiana man
How I love that Mississippi woman how I love that Mississippi girl
How I love that Mississippi woman but her heart does not belong to me
The lantern light and moonbeams are dancing patterns on the water
My jealous mind is thinking as I paddle through the sleeping alligators
She don't know I know about her Louisiana man
How I love that Mississippi woman...
The reflections of the trees are cut by the bow of my piro
And splattered by the paddle of my shaky hand
The silence from behind me is alive with the splashing alligators
And the lantern light is blinking on the bottom in the sand
How I love that Mississippi woman.
How I love that Mississippi woman.
The song "Woman" by Waylon Jennings is a tale of unrequited love and the agony that comes with it. The singer of the song is out on the Mississippi River in a boat, reflecting on his love for a woman who waves a lantern for her Louisiana man. The imagery of the lantern light and moonbeams dancing on the water, the reflections of the trees, and the splashing alligators add to the melancholic atmosphere of the song. The singer knows he cannot have the woman he loves but still cannot help but feel jealous and hurt.
The lyrics in the first and last stanza repeat the line "How I love that Mississippi woman." The repetition emphasizes the depth of the singer's love for the woman and the pain he feels in not being able to have her. The word "woman" is used instead of the woman's name to make the song relatable to anyone who has not been able to have the person they love.
Overall, "Woman" is a beautifully written song that captures the emotions of unrequited love in a haunting way.
Line by Line Meaning
The reflections of the trees are cut by the bow of my piro
As I ride down the Mississippi river in my boat, the reflection of the trees on the water are sliced by the front of my boat.
And spattered by the paddle of my eager hand
The water is splashed by my excited hand as I paddle my way down river.
That Mississippi woman is a wavin' over yonder
There is a woman on the shore waving her lantern, signaling to her Louisiana man downstream.
Wavin' her lantern for her Louisiana man
The woman is using her lantern to communicate with her lover downstream and he knows what the signals mean.
How I love that Mississippi woman how I love that Mississippi girl
The artist is in love with the woman on the shore and can’t help but think about her.
How I love that Mississippi woman but her heart does not belong to me
Though he loves the woman, he is aware that her heart belongs to someone else.
The lantern light and moonbeams are dancing patterns on the water
The light from the woman's lantern, along with the moonbeams, create a beautiful display on the surface of the water.
She doesn't seem to realize I've learned her secret plans
The artist has picked up on the woman's secret plans to meet with her lover downstream, but she is unaware of it.
My jealous mind is thinking as I paddle through the sleeping alligators
The artist is consumed with jealousy as he paddles past alligators resting on the riverbank.
She don't know I know about her Louisiana man
The woman is unaware that the artist knows about the Louisiana man she is meeting downstream.
The silence from behind me is alive with the splashing alligators
As the singer paddles down the Mississippi river, he can hear the sounds of alligators splashing about behind him.
And the lantern light is blinking on the bottom in the sand
Along with the sound of the alligators, the artist can see the light from the woman's lantern flashing on the bottom of the river.
How I love that Mississippi woman.
Despite the complicated situation, the singer still loves the woman on the shore.
How I love that Mississippi woman.
Once again, the singer declares his love for the woman on the shore.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hridoye Bangladesh, from Bangladesh
Lyrics:
A long time forgotten the dreams that just fell by the way
The good life he promised ain't what she's livin' today
But she never complains of the bad times
Or the bad things he's done, lord
She just talks about the good times they've had
And all the good times to come
(She's a good-hearted woman in love with a good timin' man)
She loves him in spite of his ways she don't understand
(With teardrops & laughter they pass through this world hand in hand)
(A good-hearted woman, lovin' a good timin' man)
He likes the bright lights and nightlife and good time friends
And when the party's all over she'll welcome him back home again
Lord knows she don't understand him but she does the best that she can
A-this good-hearted woman, lovin' a good timin' man
(key change up)
(She's a good-hearted woman in love with a good timin' man)
(She loves him in spite of his ways she don't understand)
(With teardrops & laughter they pass through this world hand in hand)
A good-hearted woman, lovin' a good timin' man
(She's a good-hearted woman in love with a good timin' man)
She loves him in spite of his ways she don't understand
(With teardrops & laughter they pass through this world hand in hand)
A good-hearted woman, lovin' a good timin' man
অনেকদিনের স্বপ্ন ভুলে গেছে শুধু পথের ধারে
তিনি যে ভাল জীবনের প্রতিশ্রুতি দিয়েছিলেন তা আজ সে বেঁচে নেই
কিন্তু সে কখনো খারাপ সময়ের জন্য অভিযোগ করে না
অথবা সে যে খারাপ কাজ করেছে, প্রভু
সে শুধু তাদের ভালো সময়গুলো নিয়ে কথা বলে
এবং সব ভাল সময় আসছে
(তিনি একজন ভাল মনের মহিলা একজন ভাল সময়ের পুরুষের প্রেমে)
সে তাকে ভালবাসে তার উপায়গুলি সত্ত্বেও সে বুঝতে পারে না
(অশ্রু ও হাসিতে তারা হাত ধরে এই পৃথিবী পাড়ি দেয়)
(একজন ভাল মনের মহিলা, একজন ভাল সময়মান পুরুষকে ভালবাসি)
তিনি উজ্জ্বল আলো এবং রাতের জীবন এবং ভালো সময় বন্ধু পছন্দ করেন
এবং পার্টি শেষ হলে তিনি তাকে আবার বাড়িতে স্বাগত জানাবেন
প্রভু জানেন তিনি তাকে বোঝেন না কিন্তু তিনি যথাসাধ্য চেষ্টা করেন
এ-এই ভালো মনের মহিলা, একজন ভালো সময়ের মানুষটিকে ভালোবাসেন
(কী পরিবর্তন)
(তিনি একজন ভাল মনের মহিলা একজন ভাল সময়ের পুরুষের প্রেমে)
(সে তাকে ভালবাসে তার উপায়গুলি সত্ত্বেও সে বুঝতে পারে না)
(অশ্রু ও হাসিতে তারা হাত ধরে এই পৃথিবী পাড়ি দেয়)
একজন ভালো মনের নারী, একজন ভালো সময়ের পুরুষকে ভালোবাসেন
(তিনি একজন ভাল মনের মহিলা একজন ভাল সময়ের পুরুষের প্রেমে)
সে তাকে ভালবাসে তার উপায়গুলি সত্ত্বেও সে বুঝতে পারে না
(অশ্রু ও হাসিতে তারা হাত ধরে এই পৃথিবী পাড়ি দেয়)
একজন ভালো মনের নারী, একজন ভালো সময়ের পুরুষকে ভালোবাসেন
mack Dog
I grew up listening to this guy. What I'd like to know is where modern country went so wrong.
Tracy Kingston
Alan Jackson and Dwight Yoakam did pretty good, don't know if they are still performing, but most stuff now is clones of each others garbage.
Christopher
Me too 😢
Wayne Dull
So true
Tim Day
It went pop
Mark Miller
I dedicate this song to my loving wife of 13 years, 17 together! 4 sons, great marriage! God Bless her Soul. She puts up with my construction working ass, drinking like a fish but takes damn good care of our sons! I married a Saint!
Otis Roseboro
Rip to a great country singer & songwriter Waylon Jennings we still miss you
Stacey Chutskoff
Yess! Forever #1 Song...
Stacey Chutskoff
👍
Stacey Chutskoff
YESS!