4 Outlaw Country Songs That Also Rock Surprisingly Hard

For many, outlaw country represents something more authentic than country music’s pop iteration routinely produced in Nashville. But the argument over what’s “real” country isn’t new. In the 1950s, legends like Bob Wills and Hank Williams influenced a backlash to the slick “Nashville sound”, with the rise of the honky-tonk artists in Bakersfield, California.

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Later, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Southern rock—along with Bakersfield—helped shape the outlaw scene’s commercial awakening in the 1970s and beyond. Which makes it easy to spot the rocking roots of these outlaw country songs below.

“Copperhead Road” by Steve Earle (1988)

Steve Earle’s defining song tells the story of John Lee Pettimore, who continues his family’s bootlegging racket. Then he enlists in the Army, serves in Vietnam, returns home, and grows marijuana. To avoid the DEA, Pettimore relies on what he learned in the war. Meanwhile, Earle’s track threads Irish and Scottish folk music with its American form in Appalachia. But it’s equally propelled by the heavy blues of Led Zeppelin, as “Copperhead Road” revealed a literal map for modern outlaw country rockers.

“Lonesome, On’ry And Mean” by Waylon Jennings (1973)

If you needed three words to describe the ideal outlaw, look no further than “Lonesome, On’ry And Mean”. The song reveals the lessons Waylon Jennings had learned as a member of Buddy Holly’s band. Though it’s a stomping country groove, you can hear rock and roll’s early electric roots in its twangy guitar riff. Moreover, the distorted harp echoes the Chicago blues that informed rock music. Written by Steve Young, the title track to Jennings’s 1973 album remains a cornerstone of outlaw country. But with a groove this deep, it also rocks.

“(Ghost) Riders In The Sky” by Johnny Cash (1979)

Written by Stan Jones, “(Ghost) Riders In The Sky” has been recorded many times. However, in the voice of the Man in Black, Jones’s standard feels more ominous. With the dark vibe of a Cormac McCarthy novel, Johnny Cash croons a supernatural tale about the Devil’s herd thundering across the sky. The hootin’-and-hollerin’ chorus feels existential in the language of ghostly cowboys. And if you want to learn how to rock a low-country riff, check out the psychedelic guitars on Cash’s fiery version.

“Why You Been Gone So Long” by Jessi Colter (1970)

Jessi Colter, born Mirriam Johnson, gave the outlaw scene its musical Bonnie Parker. Colter, who married Waylon Jennings in 1969, released her debut LP in 1970. A Country Star Is Born was produced by Jennings and Chet Atkins. It foreshadows the rawness of Jennings’ 70s output but also features the glossy Nashville sound engineered by Atkins. “Why You Been Gone So Long” is a rocking tune that feels like the outlaws slowly breaking free from Nashville’s establishment in real time.

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