Outlaw You

Album: The Other Life (2013)
Play Video
  • I get home from a long day, put on the radio
    Lookin' for some country soul, but I don't find it, no
    It's a dirt road free for all, some old boys sayin' they're outlaws,
    They dress the part and they talk the talk
    You know they've been taught to walk the walk
    These boys think they're tough like they been robbin' banks
    Cause they name drop Johnny Cash and they name drop poor old Hank

    Hey pretty boy in the baseball hat
    You couldn't hit country with a baseball bat
    Country ain't just about where you're at
    It's about bein' true to what's inside
    You say you're an outlaw with your perfect boots
    That you got from your record label's image group
    Sing another man's song with a big drum loop
    Listen, son, you ain't got a clue
    You can't buy true, tell you what they should do
    They should outlaw you

    Let me paint a picture for you, Nashville in '62
    The formula had proven true, they didn't let nothing new through
    When Waylon came to town, they didn't like his original sound
    They tried hard to keep him down, they tried hard to starve him out
    But he kept playin' shows and pressin' on, chippin' away, song by song
    After years and years of strugglin' strong, he got his chance and he took it to #1
    With "This Time" back in '74, with his band in the back and 4 on the floor
    That one record busted down the door and the record labels had the control no more
    Then in '76 came the Outlaws record, sold the first million in country music ever
    Those old boys with long hair and braids stayed true to their sound and freed the slaves
    And all these years later, the suits got back their grip
    They took the outlaw concept and they re-packaged it
    And there's a million Ol Waylon fans
    Singin' "Don't y'all think this outlaw bit has gotten way out of hand"

    Hey pretty boy in your cowboy hat
    You couldn't hit country with a baseball bat
    Country ain't just about where you're at
    It's about bein' true to what's inside
    You say you're an outlaw with your perfect boots
    That you got from your record label's image group
    Sing another man's song with a big drum loop
    Listen, son, you ain't got a clue
    You can't buy true, tell you what they should do
    They should outlaw you
    They should outlaw you

    Hey pretty boy in the baseball hat
    You couldn't hit country with a baseball bat
    Country ain't just about where you're at
    It's about bein' true to what's inside
    You say you're an outlaw with your perfect boots
    That you got from your record label's image group
    Sing another man's song with a big drum loop
    Listen, man, you ain't got a clue
    You can't buy true, tell you what they should do
    They should outlaw you Writer/s: WAYLON ALBRIGHT JENNINGS
    Publisher: CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in Songs

Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear: Teddy Bears and Teddy Boys in SongsSong Writing

Elvis, Little Richard and Cheryl Cole have all sung about Teddy Bears, but there is also a terrifying Teddy song from 1932 and a touching trucker Teddy tune from 1976.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.

Philip Cody

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."