3 Country and Southern Rock Songs About the Timeless Character of the “Ramblin’ Man”

Wayward soul, troubadour, vagabond, hobo, wayfarer, and wonderer are just a few of the synonyms for a ramblin’ man. The figure who falls under all of these adjectives has been a recurring theme in country music since its beginnings. From Jimmy Rogers to Zach Bryan and everyone in between, most folk and outlaw country singers have a least one song about this type of character.

Thanks to the utter surplus of songs obtaining the character, it’s hard to choose some that are among the best. However, what makes it a whole lot easier is to pick the ones that use the exact name of the “Ramblin’ Man” in their title and lyrics. So, here are three songs to use the name and the timeless character in their songs.

“Ramblin’ Man” by Hank Williams

Recorded in 1951, Williams sat down with Fred Young and yodeled the song straight through without any instrumental solos. Subsequently, Williams released the song in 1953 on the B-side of his No. 1 hit “Take These Chains from My Heart.”

Like many songs of this nature, the narrative is about a man who must break his friends’ and family’s hearts due to his inability to stay in one place for too long. It’s a tale as old as time, though, it’s arguably a tale as old as time thanks to Williams’ mass introduction of it.

“Ramblin’ Man” by The Allman Brothers Band

Inspired by Hank Williams’ classic, The Allman Brothers’ version of the song was released in 1973 on Brothers and Sisters. Even though the song’s lyrics still consist of the tropes often paired with the character, the music is all the Allman Brothers.

Following its release, the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and it helped the album have a five-week run on the Billboard 200. Given its success, the song not only became the band’s most famous song, but it also received an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“I’m a Ramblin’ Man” by Waylon Jennings

Unlike the Allman Brothers’ song, Jennings was not inspired by Williams’ 1951 classic. Regardless, upon its release in 1974, the song became a huge hit for the outlaw country singer. Jennings’ tune became a No. 1 hit on the country charts and also appeared on the Australian charts.

When Jennings’ song was nominated for a CMA in 1974 he was asked to perform it at the ceremony. However, the producers requested he shorten it to better fit the show’s runtime. So, in ramblin’ man fashion, Jennings refused to do so, walked off the set, and never performed the song. How is that for practicing what you preach?

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