3 Outlaw Country Masterpieces of the 1970s That Don’t Belong to Kristofferson, Nelson, or Van Zandt

To a certain demographic of country music fans, the unofficial lyrical golden age of the genre was the 1970s, and the specific movement that made it so was outlaw country. The movement featured the works of Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash. On the less commercial side of the genre, the songwriting king was undeniably Townes Van Zandt. However, the lyrical masterpieces of the 1970s don’t just belong to them, as they also belong to some more underrated names. With that in mind, here are three lyrical outlaw country music masterpieces of the 1970s that don’t belong to Kristofferson, Nelson, Van Zandt, or any other notable names.

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“Alabama Highway” by Steve Young

Steve Young is a criminally underrated musician of the 1970s outlaw country music scene. While his work, under his name, never reached the masses, his work, under the names of others, did. Notably, Steve Young wrote “Seve Bridges Road”, a hit song for The Eagles. Furthermore, he also penned Waylon Jennings’ hit, “Lonesome, On’ry And Mean”.

We don’t want to spell out the meaning of Steven Young’s 1975 song, but at its essence, it is a song about freedom and the longing for it. The lyrics and Young’s delivery make you yearn for freedom, even if you already have it. The song knocks you to your knees, every single time.

“That Old Time Feeling” by Guy Clark

In addition to Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark was a fixture in the underground Austin, Texas music scene. The man has a cult following, and his songs have been performed by artists such as Johnny Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, Vince Gill, and many, many others. Like his contemporary, Van Zandt, Clark is a masterful songwriter, and one of the many songs that highlight that fact is “That Old Time Feeling”.

Clark’s message in “That Old Time Feeling” isn’t anything we haven’t already heard before. However, his articulation of that message, bittersweet nostalgia, makes you walk into your castle of memories and recollect things you like and things you don’t.

“If I Could Only Fly” by Blaze Foley

Blaze Foley, also known as “The Duct Tape Messiah”, is one of outlaw country’s most enigmatic and fascinating figures. We don’t have the space to tell you his story, but if you already know it, then you know this man had songwriting material coming out of his ears. Foley himself never made it to the big leagues, but his legacy has been carried on by covers performed by Merle Haggard, John Prine, and The Avett Brothers.

One of Foley’s most beautiful songs is “If I Could Only Fly”, which he reportedly wrote in 1977. We could write you a dissertation as to why this song is one of the best country songs of all time, but we want you to decide that for yourself. All in all, this song is the pure embodiment of folk-country perfection.

Photo by David Redfern/Redferns