Monday, September 29, 2025

The only two things in life that make it worth livin'

 

Is guitars that tune good and firm feelin' womenI don't need my name in the marquee lightsI got my song and I got you with me tonightMaybe it's time we got back to the basics of love
Chips Moman and Bobby Emmons wrote this song in 1977.
Let's go to Luckenbach, TexasWith Waylon and Willie and the boysThis successful life we're livin'Got us feuding like the Hatfields and McCoysBetween Hank Williams' pain songs andNewbury's train songs and "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain"Out in Luckenbach, Texas, ain't nobody feelin' no pain
Moman and Emmons approached one Waylon Jennings to see if he'd record it.  "How come you're asking me?".... "Because your name is in it."  At this time, neither the songwriters, or Waylon had ever been to Luckenbach... "I knew it was a hit song, even though I didn't like it... still don't." 
So baby, let's sell your diamond ringBuy some boots and faded jeans and go awayThis coat and tie is choking meIn your high society, you cry all dayWe've been so busy keepin' up with the JonesFour car garage and we're still building onMaybe it's time we got back to the basics of love
The town was originally called Grape Creek, Texas (Let's go to Grape Creek, Texas?  Just ain't got the same feel.)  Soon, renamed after one of the founders, Carl Albert Luckenbach.
Let's go to Luckenbach, TexasWith Waylon and Willie and the boysThis successful life we're livin' got us feudin'Like the Hatfield and McCoysBetween Hank Williams' pain songs andNewbury's train songs and "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain"Out in Luckenbach, Texas, ain't nobody feelin' no pain
Sounds as if the idea is to 'get away from it all'.. The town motto is "Everybody is somebody in Luckenbach."
Let's go to Luckenbach, TexasWillie and Waylon and the boysThis successful life we're livin's got us feudin'Like the Hatfield and McCoysBetween Hank Williams' pain songsAnd Jerry Jeff's train songs and "Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain"
Out in Luckenback, Texas, there ain't nobody feelin' no pain.

The town sold to some ranchers in 1970 for $30,000. (Song recorded, released in 1977.) So, whadda ya think?  Was the population 1,500 and soared to 20,000?  20,000 and soared to fitty thousand?

While the song did bring Worldwide fame, floods of tourists, yada.... it's kept it's ghost town feel, Population 3.   Nuh uh?  Uh huh.  There are remnants of the post office (the Zip Code 78647 retired long ago), there's a working saloon, general store, and a new store where folks can buy top quality Western Clothing, of course with the Logo "Luckenbach, Texas" as well as the town's motto "Everybody is somebody in Luckenbach" and... other souvenir goodies.

Where the hell is it?  I ain't never been there.. you?  It's 50 miles North of San Antone... and 60 miles West of Austin.

I thought this might be a good idea for a blog. Sorry, don't seem like it is!  Waylon (his REAL, legal name is Wayland... born in TX, a preacher from Wayland Baptist College knocked on the Jennings household door to thank them for naming their child after Wayland Baptist College... Mom (Lorene, Church of Christ) thinking on her feet, "Nope, his first name is Waylon" and it stuck.

Waylon of course was in the supergroup The Highwaymen (he, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash).... and, in spite of having some human flaws like all of us, he was 'Just a good ole boy, never meanin' no harm."

In fact, he wrote, recorded that for the TV show The Dukes of Hazzard as well as narrating the show.

Have a great week - we must mutually promise not to get our bowels in an uproar... and should we, let's go to Luckenbach, Texas.. maybe it's time to get back to the basics of love.

*I know you were dying to ask.  Neon lights were invented in 1910.

By Henry Wiki Gibson

Love, Victurd

No comments:

Post a Comment

The only two things in life that make it worth livin'

  Is guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women I don't need my name in the marquee lights I got my song and I got you with me to...