Waymore's Blues by Waylon Jennings: A Song That Will Touch Your Soul - Country Music (2024)

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31 May, 2024

Waymore’s Blues by Waylon Jennings: A Song That Will Touch Your Soul

About The Song

Background

Released in 1970, “Waymore’s Blues” is a country ballad written and performed by the legendary outlaw country singer Waylon Jennings. The song’s title is a clever homage to blues music, a genre that heavily influenced Jennings’ early work. While the exact “Waymore” is never identified, it’s believed to be a reference to a fellow musician or drifter Jennings encountered on his travels.

“Waymore’s Blues” appeared on Jennings’ critically acclaimed album “Shooting Stars,” a collection of introspective songs that marked a turning point in his career. The album showcased Jennings’ signature blend of countrypolitan instrumentation with raw, emotional vocals, a sound that resonated deeply with audiences yearning for authenticity in the wake of the Nashville sound’s polished pop sheen.

Musical Style

“Waymore’s Blues” is a slow-burning ballad driven by a melancholic acoustic guitar melody. The gentle strumming is punctuated by mournful pedal steel guitar swells, creating a sense of lonesome despair. The rhythm section, consisting of upright bass and drums played with brushes, provides a steady yet unobtrusive heartbeat for the song.

Jennings’ vocals are a masterclass in conveying heartache. He delivers the lyrics with a world-weary rasp, his voice cracking with emotion at times. The overall effect is one of raw vulnerability, allowing the listener to connect with the narrator’s pain.

Lyrics

The song paints a vivid picture of a man wrestling with loneliness and regret. The opening lines set the scene: “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.”

The imagery of a drizzly morning and a passing train evokes a sense of aimlessness and isolation. The mention of a dead friend named Jimmy adds another layer of sadness, suggesting a past filled with loss.

The narrator then reflects on his own shortcomings: “I got a good woman what’s the matter with me / What makes me want to love every woman I see / I was travin’ when I met her now I’m travelin’ again / And every woman she sees look like a place I came in / Look like a place I came in.”

He wrestles with infidelity and a restless spirit, ultimately unable to commit to the good woman he has. This internal conflict fuels his blues, a constant reminder of the choices he’s made.

The chorus, a simple yet powerful refrain, captures the essence of the song: “Waymore’s blues got a hold on me / Waymore’s blues won’t let me be / Waymore’s blues got a hold on me / Waymore’s blues won’t set me free.”

The repetition of “Waymore’s blues” emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of the narrator’s sadness. It’s not just a passing feeling; it’s a heavy burden he carries with him.

Cultural Impact

“Waymore’s Blues” became a signature song for Waylon Jennings, a staple of his live performances and a beloved track among fans. The song’s raw honesty and relatable themes resonated with a generation yearning for a more authentic country sound. It helped solidify Jennings’ reputation as a leading figure in the outlaw country movement, a genre that challenged the Nashville establishment’s polished pop-oriented productions.

The song’s influence can be heard in the works of countless country artists who followed Jennings’ path, prioritizing emotional honesty and storytelling over commercial trends. “Waymore’s Blues” also transcended genre boundaries, inspiring artists from rock and blues backgrounds who were drawn to Jennings’ gritty vocals and introspective lyrics.

Conclusion

“Waymore’s Blues” is more than just a country song; it’s a timeless exploration of universal themes like love, loss, and the struggle for self-acceptance. Through its melancholic melody and Jennings’ deeply personal performance, the song captures the essence of the blues, a genre built on expressing hardship and heartbreak.

The song’s enduring legacy lies in its ability to connect with listeners on a profound level. It reminds us that loneliness and regret are part of the human experience, and that even in the midst of darkness, there is beauty and truth to be found.

Video

Lyrics

🎵Let’s sing along with the lyrics!🎤

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 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

Waymore's Blues by Waylon Jennings: A Song That Will Touch Your Soul - Country Music (2024)

FAQs

Who sang Waymore's blues? ›

Waymore's Blues - song by Waylon Jennings | Spotify.

What is the tempo of Waymore's blues? ›

Waymore's Blues is a very happy song by Waylon Jennings with a tempo of 141 BPM. It can also be used half-time at 71 BPM or double-time at 282 BPM. The track runs 2 minutes and 40 seconds long with a D key and a major mode. It has average energy and is very danceable with a time signature of 4 beats per bar.

Who was the black woman who sang the blues? ›

Bessie Smith was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 15, 1894. She began to sing at a young age and in 1923 signed a contract with Columbia Records. Soon she was among the highest-paid black performers of her time with hits like 'Downhearted Blues.

Who was the real Lady Sings the Blues? ›

Billie Holiday's autobiography, "Lady Sings the Blues," begins with one of the great all-time leads: "Mom and Pop were just a couple of kids when they got married.

What is Blues music tempo? ›

Tempo Information

The Blues is generally danced to music in a 4/4 meter between 40 and 100 beats per minute (40 and 100 measures per minute). Click here to see a list of Blues songs between 40 and 100 measures per minute.

What is the tempo of the song blue? ›

BLUE is a very emotional song by Billie Eilish with a tempo of 142 BPM. It can also be used half-time at 71 BPM or double-time at 284 BPM.

What is the tempo of slow Blues? ›

Slow Blues simply refers to tempo, usually expressed in Beats Per Minute (bpm) and common tempos are Slow, Medium and Fast and can range from extremely slow such as 30 or 40 bpm all the way up to Very Fast exceeding 200 bpm.

What was Waylon Jennings last words before he died? ›

"I hope your ol' plane crashes" - Waylon Jennings' last words to Buddy Holly. Holly was 22, Valens 17 and Richardson 28. I've included details about their last night, below.

What country singer sounds like Waylon Jennings? ›

The comparisons of Sturgill Simpson to Waylon Jennings never cease, even though in some instances they're based on pretty shallow and misguided observations. That's why it's probably pretty understandable if Sturgill is tired of hearing about them at this point.

Who sang the original blues Brothers? ›

American Band was founded in 1977 by two comedians John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. They used their alter ego to perform on stage as “Jake” Blues (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd), and accompanied by excellent musicians moved to concerts.

Who originally sang singing the blues? ›

"Singing the Blues" is a popular song composed by Melvin Endsley and published in 1956. The highest-charting version was by Guy Mitchell and the first recording of the song was by Marty Robbins. It is not related to the 1920 jazz song "Singin' the Blues" recorded by Frank Trumbauer and Bix Beiderbecke in 1927.

Who sang in the Maverick Choir? ›

Performers on the song are John Anderson, Archer/Park (Randy Archer and Johnny Park), Clint Black, Suzy Bogguss, Gary Chapman, Billy Dean, Radney Foster, James Garner, Mel Gibson, Amy Grant, Noel Haggard, Faith Hill, Waylon Jennings, Hal Ketchum, Tracy Lawrence, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, John Michael Montgomery, ...

Who sang the blues originally? ›

Origins. Hart Wand's "Dallas Blues" was published in 1912; W.C. Handy's "The Memphis Blues" followed in the same year. The first recording by an African American singer was Mamie Smith's 1920 rendition of Perry Bradford's "Crazy Blues".

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