A patron saint of the Outlaw Movement, Waylon Jennings helped usher in a new sound to Nashville, capturing a hardened edge rock and centering on the shadier sides of life. Along with writing and co-writing his own hits—”I’m a Ramblin’ Man,” “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” “Good-Hearted Woman,” “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?” and the “Theme From ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ (Good Ol’ Boys)” among dozens more songs, Jennings also wrote for his Buddy Holly, Barbara Mandrell, and Porter Wagoner, along with his supergroup The Highwaymen and his outlaw cohorts Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash.
Within his thick songbook spanning more than 40 albums and 16 No. 1s, along with collaborative releases with Willie Nelson and others, there was one song—never released as a single—that Jennings considered his best.
“I think the best song I’ve ever written is ‘I Do Believe,'” said Jennings. “It’s off of one of the Highwaymen albums. It wasn’t a hit, but it’s a good song. Most people who have heard it feel the same way.”
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Featured on The Highwaymen’s third and final album, The Road Goes on Forever, “I Do Believe” explores the misconceptions and expectations within religion and the power of spirituality.
In my own way, I’m a believer
In my own way, right or wrong
I don’t talk too much about it
It’s something I keep working on
I don’t have too much to build on
My faith has never been that strong
There is a man there in that building
He’s a holy man, they say
He keeps talking about tomorrow
While I keep struggling with today
He preaches hellfire and brimstone
And heaven seems so far away
I do believe in a higher power
One that loves us, one and all
Not someone to solve my problems
Or to catch me when I fall
“It’s about what a lot of people in this world are turning to now in the name of religion,” said Jennings when describing the song. “But I think spirituality is where it’s at. It’s how you feel yourself. It’s how I felt and the way I still feel about things.”
Throughout the song, the lyrics center on finding one’s meaning in life, and living it fully—Live life to the fullest, every day that you’re here.
He gave us all a mind to think with
And to know what’s right or wrong
He is that inner spirit
That keeps us strong
In my own way, I’m a believer
But not in voices I can’t hear
I believe in a lovin’ father
One I never have to fear
That I should live life at its fullest
Just as long as I am here
In 2006, four years after Jennings’ death at 64, a comprehensive box set, Nashville Rebel, was released, featuring 92 songs that he recorded between the 1950s and the ’90s, including his solo rendition of “I Do Believe.”
Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
