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.
You'll Think of Me
Waylon Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I wish I could be happy for you
But you see my friend I've been there too that's one more thing that'll bother you
When she treats you like she's treated me you'll think of me
When the new wears off and the glamor's gone
But the ties that bind keep holding on and they're strong
You'll think of me being with her like I thought of her being with them
And you and God knows who
As you wake to see who the next will be you'll think of me
As you wake to see who the next will be you'll think of me
The lyrics to Waylon Jennings's song "You'll Think of Me" are about a man reflecting on his past relationship with a woman who has moved on and has another man in her life. He is struggling to be happy for his friend because he knows that the woman will likely treat him the way she treated the singer. The lyrics reflect the bitterness and pain that come with an ended relationship and the fear that the new relationship will falter too.
The singer knows that the initial excitement of a new relationship fades and the real work begins. He tells his friend that he will think of the singer when the newness wears off, and the woman reveals her true self. He knows that the ties that bind in a relationship can be strong, even after it's over, and that the memories of the past can linger for a long time. He warns his friend that when his own relationship ends, as it inevitably will, he too will think of the singer.
The lyrics play on the emotions that many people feel when they think about past relationships. The singer is trying to come to terms with his own feelings about the woman and his friend's new relationship. He knows that he will always have a place in his heart for her, even when she is no longer a part of his life.
Line by Line Meaning
You have her now she's your life you're saying how she'll be your wife
You're with the girl I used to be with, and you're talking like you're going to marry her.
And I wish I could be happy for you
I want to be happy for you, but I can't.
But you see my friend I've been there too that's one more thing that'll bother you
I've been in your shoes before, and I know how it feels. And that's one more thing that will trouble you.
When she treats you like she's treated me you'll think of me
When she treats you poorly or breaks your heart like she did to me, you'll remember how it felt for me and think of me.
When the new wears off and the glamor's gone
When the excitement of a new relationship fades away and the glamour disappears.
But the ties that bind keep holding on and they're strong
But the emotional connections between you and her remain and they are powerful.
You'll think of me being with her like I thought of her being with them
You'll imagine me being with her the way I used to imagine her being with other people.
And you and God knows who
And you'll wonder who else she's been with.
You're happy now but wake and see when she treats you like she's treated me
You're currently happy with her, but one day you'll realize how I felt when she treats you the way she treated me.
As you wake to see who the next will be you'll think of me
As you wake up to see who she is moving onto next, you'll think of me and what we used to have.
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