3 Country Duets From the 1970s We Can’t Stop Singing

Yes, duets exist across many genres. But there’s something singular about country music’s twosomes. While many detail the ups and especially the messy downs of romantic entanglements, others use the collaboration to describe individual loneliness, heartache, despair, and redemption. Rock-bottom anthems that resonate in equal parts poetry and plain language. You often hear how life can be like a country song, and perhaps it’s why we can’t stop singing these classic duets from the 1970s.  

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“Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” by Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson

When Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson covered Ed Bruce’s Western anthem, they transformed the cautious vibe of the original into something more inviting. The duo had helped pioneer the outlaw country movement, and during its rise in popularity in the 1970s, you can imagine many young singers were hoping to follow in their footsteps. Rather than metaphorical cowboys, Jennings and Nelson were country music’s rebellious rock stars. And life on the road, playing music with your friends, never looked so enticing. Ramble on, kids.   

“We’re Gonna Hold On” by George Jones and Tammy Wynette

The lore around George Jones and Tammy Wynette is unlike any other in popular music. The iconic duo released countless hits together as their songs often mirrored the tumult of their marriage. Jones, known as much for his royal drinking as for his legendary croon, co-wrote “We’re Gonna Hold On” with Earl Montgomery. Wynette had filed for divorce in 1973, but the duo endured. The title track to their fifth album topped the country charts and prolonged their marriage, though not for long.

“The Pine Tree” by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash

In “The Pine Tree”, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash trade nature metaphors and accuse each other of wrecking the relationship. The song opens with June leaning against Johnny, thinking he’s as strong as an oak tree. Instead, the wind breaks him, though he doesn’t quite see it this way. He says he’s broken because of her “false love,” and the back and forth continues until Johnny finally realizes he’s about to lose June. Then he sees her like a ship, drifting away at sea, and begs for her to return. Back on land, they decide to lay roots down, and it’s a lovable highlight on Johnny Cash And His Woman.

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