In his autobiography, Waylon Jennings explained the ethos of Outlaw Country. In his eyes, it wasn’t about crime or being an “outlaw.” Instead, it was about artists going against the grain of the Nashville establishment. More than anything, it was about having full creative control over their music and image. The Outlaw movement stripped away the clean-cut image of country music’s early days and provided artists the freedom to be more authentic. However, that doesn’t mean that there weren’t plenty of songs that fell into the widely understood definition of Outlaw music.
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The songs below fit that mold. They’re all from country artists who were doing things their way. The songs just happened to have a little illegal activity in the lyrics. Crank up the volume and dive into the “outlaw” side of Outlaw Country.
[RELATED: 4 Revered Outlaw Country Legends Who Never Had a No. 1 Hit]
“Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand?” by Waylon Jennings
No matter what he was singing about, it doesn’t get much more Outlaw Country than Waylon Jennings. He was one of the originators of the sub-genre and all but codified the sound with his 1973 album Honky Tonk Heroes. Five years later, that outlaw image was wearing thin and drawing the attention of law enforcement. As a result, DEA agents tracked a package containing a large amount of Peruvian marching powder from New York to the Nashville studio in which Jennings was recording.
With help from Richie Albright and a clerical error in the search warrant, Jennings was able to flush the contents of the package down the toilet. However, they still arrested him on federal possession charges. Fortunately, the charges didn’t stick without evidence. So, instead of getting a lengthy prison sentence, Jennings got a No. 5 hit when he released “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand” as a single from his album I’ve Always Been Crazy.
“Where Do Ya Want It?” by Whitey Morgan and the 78’s
Whitey Morgan and the 78’s are one of many modern groups who are following in the footsteps of Outlaw Country originals like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Billy Joe Shaver. This song from their 2010 self-titled album tells the story of the time Shaver shot a guy in a bar outside of Waco, Texas. As the story goes, Shaver asked the man, “Where do ya want it?” before squeezing the trigger.
Shaver was tried and acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. So, like the song above, a legend avoided a prison sentence, and we got a great tune out of the situation.
“Ain’t No God in Mexico” by Billy Joe Shaver
Speaking of gun-toting songwriting legends, Billy Joe Shaver is a largely unsung hero of the Outlaw Country movement. He had writing credits on all but one song on Waylon Jennings’ Honky Tonk Heroes, a seminal album in the sub genre. “Ain’t No God in Mexico” is among the songs Jennings chose to cut for the LP. Shaver’s version is just as good.
“Ain’t No God in Mexico” is about crossing the border and getting a little too rowdy. One can only imagine that ending up in a Mexican jail would rank high on a list of outlaw activities.
“Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle
Throughout his long career, Steve Earle has recorded in several styles and is no stranger to Outlaw Country. His 1988 hit “Copperhead Road” is a great example of his take on the subgenre. It’s a perfectly balanced blend of rock and country with lyrics that many people overlook.
The Tennessee General Assembly recognized “Copperhead Road” as one of the state’s official songs in 2020 due to its popularity and the fact that it’s set in Johnson Country, Tennessee. Fittingly, they passed the act on April 20 of that year. The song is about a Vietnam veteran from a long line of moonshiners who comes back from the war and uses his family’s land to grow weed. The song’s final verse ends with a warning to federal agents who might decide to bust the protagonist’s grow operation: And now the DEA’s got a chopper in the air. / I wake up screamin’ like I’m back over there. / I learned a thing or two from Charlie, don’t you know? / You better stay away from Copperhead Road.
So, Earle’s song about growing pot and fighting the feds became Tennessee’s 11th state song. If nothing else, that earns him a place among Outlaw Country royalty.
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