Hank Williams Jr. / Waylon Jennings Duet “The Conversation” Gets Its Due
To many dedicated country music fans, “The Conversation” pairing Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings is one of the coolest collaborations to ever grace the genre. Written by Hank Jr., Waylon, and Waylon’s long-time drummer Richie Albright, it captures the two country music legends conversing about the legacy of Hank Williams.
“The Conversation” originally appeared on Hank Jr.’s landmark album Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound from 1979, but didn’t get released as a proper single until Waylon reissued the song in 1983 on his duets album Waylon and Company. The song reached #15 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, making it a decent hit. But since so many folks had already been listening to the song since 1979, it didn’t have that new car smell to make it to #1.
The 1983 reissue of the song is also when the iconic video for the song was shot and released. At this time, music videos for country songs were super rare. “The Conversation” was one of the first, and one of the very few music videos Waylon Jennings ever made. The song and video went on to become classics, and living pieces of country music history.
But one thing that had never happened was “The Conversation” being recognized as a Gold record by the RIAA, until now. 45 years to the month that it was released (October, 1979), “The Conversation” has been officially been Certified Gold.
In truth, the single probably racked up enough spins and sales to meet the required 500,000 equivalent benchmark for Gold status years ago. But there is a huge backlog in certifications for classic country songs and albums. Unless a label actively seeks the certification and the RIAA is able to guarantee the sales and streams, the cert isn’t issued.
“The Conversation” was officially Certified Gold on October 10th. Hank Jr.’s “Dixie On My Mind” was also Certified Gold on the same day.
Waylon Jennings said in his autobiography about Hank Jr., “[He] has always been like my little brother. Audrey would not let him out of her sight. He was about eighteen, and when I worked opening his shows, along with Merles like Haggard and Kilgore, she didn’t trust him with anyone but me. She let him ride on my bus.”
One of the things that’s cool about “The Conversation” is that it’s a bridge between generations, both Hank’s legacy with Hank Jr., and Waylon’s generation with Hank Jr. who was about 12 years younger than Waylon. Jennings goes on to say in his autobiography about Hank Jr. and “The Conversation”:
“Hank Jr. is one of the best blues singers in the world, and on a good night, he can make his daddy look like a sharecropper. He’s his own man, and I think I helped him come to terms with that. When we got through, it said things about his daddy he had never thought about, especially concerning the relationship between his mom and dad. They loved each other too much … and basically destroyed each other completely; but there ain’t a damn thing Hank could have done to change it.”
The song wasn’t just entertainment. It truly was an important conversation about meaningful topics to the two men and to country music.
October 16, 2024 @ 8:30 am
Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound was the first Hank Jr. I bought. i remember the first time I heard The Conversation and thought what a great way to close out a great album. After that I bought every Hank album the day they were released and still do to this day. In my opinion he is the greatest country artist of all time.
October 16, 2024 @ 9:36 am
I feel like this must be a dumb question, but I have been listening to this song for decades, and never really understood this lyric:
“Do you think he wrote them about your mama, or about the man who done her wrong?”
Can anyone help?
October 16, 2024 @ 9:49 am
The man who done her wrong was himself
October 16, 2024 @ 9:49 am
I always understood “the man who done her wrong” as Hank himself.. 🤷🏻♀️
October 16, 2024 @ 9:55 am
I always interpreted “the man who done her wrong” to be Hank Sr. himself. And when Jr. responds to Waylon’s question with the half spoken, half-chuckled “…you know that…!” he’s saying Hank Sr. recognized the part he played in their marital discord. One listener’s decades-old interpretation…..
October 16, 2024 @ 6:18 pm
Went to see Hank Jr. in a little snowstorm in Richmond,Va.about 1986.Well my buddy and I slowly but surely made it down I-64 east from Louisa.Made it there,parked the car ,walked a half a mile to Coliseum,and the show was cancelled.We were still stoked and went to a bar and partied.Dont think Hank done it that way,aww nah!
October 16, 2024 @ 11:17 pm
I was headed to that same show in the snow driving from Montross
October 16, 2024 @ 10:52 am
Thanks everyone.
I guess the “or” is what bothered me, because it seems you would say the songs are about both Hank AND Audrey…
Anyway, no need to overthink it, great song and video, thanks for the article Trig!
October 16, 2024 @ 7:18 pm
Yeah, I think you’re being too literal. The line is not about ALL Hank’s songs–It’s not about “Jambalaya,” or “Hey Good Lookin’.” When I hear Waylon sing/say ““Do you think he wrote them about your mama, or about the man who done her wrong?” it conjures up Hank singing “How can I….melt your cold, cold heart?” or “Your cheating heart will tell on you.”
Waylon is asking whether Hank was accusing Audrey or deep down, was he really confessing?
October 17, 2024 @ 2:07 am
Yeah, that’s a good way to put it. Thanks.
October 16, 2024 @ 11:25 am
It always struck me that Waylon was incredibly insightful, in addition to being one of the best guys ever. His line, “They loved each other too much … and basically destroyed each other completely” strikes the balance of respect and truth. That was a perspective that I imagine Hank Jr. really needed as a young man, trying to sort out his own unique legacy.
October 16, 2024 @ 10:43 pm
It means himself, being the man who cheated on hee.
In other words, when he wrote “your cheatin heart” waa he singing about her, or himself
October 16, 2024 @ 12:29 pm
Waylon sure patted himself on the back in those quotes.
“Dixie On My Mind” is one of the greatest country music songs. I am glad it was certified gold.
“The Conversation” does a good enough job despite taking a gimmicky approach.
October 16, 2024 @ 5:28 pm
Waylon really pats to Hank Jr.. He calls him “one of the best blues singers in the world.” As far as himself, he says that he was like a big brother to Hank Jr. and that Audrey trusted him to take Jr. under his wing. If it’s true, then it’s an interesting story worth telling.
Hank Jr. and Waylon along with Merle (Kilgore) appeared on the Ralph Emery show on TNN in 1988 and performed a bit of “Mind Your Own Business” and “The Conversation”–and appeared very warm toward each other. (And they were both known to be ornery.) There’s no indication that Hank Jr. ever felt that Waylon was taking too much credit for his success or insinuating himself into Hank Jr.’s life story inappropriately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bljln2t01UM
October 16, 2024 @ 12:33 pm
I have a very distinct memory about listening to this song while riding with my dad in his Chevrolet Custom Deluxe pickup truck. I am forever thankful to him for that.
October 16, 2024 @ 4:17 pm
This song is one of the greatest. Love it.
October 16, 2024 @ 4:40 pm
They both are great singer and they like each other too
October 16, 2024 @ 6:21 pm
Heroes have always been Cowboys
October 16, 2024 @ 7:50 pm
I happened to catch an old Austin City Limits last night w Waylon & Marty Stewart…Made me realize even more how much I truly miss actual country music.
October 16, 2024 @ 8:01 pm
I always loved the guitar solo that ends the tune. Listen to that, then listen to the epic soloing on Haggard’s “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink”. Hear the similarity? They’re both played by the awesome Reggie Young (RIP), one of the great Memphis and Nashville session players.
October 18, 2024 @ 1:15 am
Reggie Young was a monster on guitar. He also played the solos and fills on Rose in Paradise, and Makeup and Faded Blue Jeans. Brilliant guitar playing. The playing on Rose in Paradise sounds simple but on a close listen, or attempt to play it it’s very nuanced and tasteful.
October 19, 2024 @ 5:50 am
Good ones, indeed. And oh yeah, the unforgettable guitar on Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man”? That’s him, too. Or the beautiful, soulful intro to Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away”? Yep. There are plenty of great songs, but players like Young turned them into great records.
October 19, 2024 @ 11:36 am
Here’s video from the Highwaymen at Nassau Coliseum in 1990 that really focuses on Reggie Young as much as on the members.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dhZ8fuYuPI
October 16, 2024 @ 8:38 pm
The Conversation has always been one of my favorite songs! Nashville has always had kind of a love hate relationship with Hank Williams, Sr.
“Back then they called him crazy, now days they call him a saint. Now the ones that called him crazy, are still ridin’ on his name”.
October 17, 2024 @ 6:40 am
As someone said, “They all want to be Hank Williams; they don’t want to have to die…”
October 17, 2024 @ 8:28 am
Enjoyed revisiting this memorable duet, but I disagree with the assessment of why the song was not a bigger chart success as a single release in 1983.
By 1983 Hank Williams had been gone for 30 years. Although Hank Sr. was still fondly remembered by many long-time country fans, many of the new fans that came to the genre since the late 60’s were not as familiar with Hank’s legacy. By the 80’s very few country stations included any Hank Sr. titles in their oldies libraries. The style and technical sound of 1950’s country music was a world apart and not compatible with the sound of country recordings from the 1970’s & 80’s. So although the well-written tribute was performed by two of the genres biggest stars, by 1983 Hank, Sr. was not as relevant to a significant portion of the country audience. I was a country radio program director at that time and can verify that the response to that duet was far less than we usually received for Waylon & Hank, Jr.’s singles. As a fan I loved it but that song was definitely not a huge “hit” with most of our listeners. There was likely some areas of the U.S. especially the deep south where the song received better response, but it was not a major country success nationwide.
Although first released as an album track on Hank Jr’s 1979 album, it received only limited exposure at that time. Few country stations played album tracks to any extent except on late night or overnight shows. So in 1983 except for the country fans that had the Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound album it was essentially a brand new song to most listeners. So the “new car smell” was really not a factor. Nor was the video. Because CMT & The Nashville Network had just launched in early 1983 they were not yet available in many areas. Cable TV was not ubiquitous and many of the cable systems did not yet offer those channels in their line-up.
October 17, 2024 @ 9:41 am
There’s a lot of mutual respect between these guys. Hank jr did a fine tribute to waylon in his song Waylon’s guitar.
October 17, 2024 @ 10:37 am
Trigger,
You wrote this back in 2013: “This may sound like sacrilege, but I was never high on “The Conversation” either.”
Have you changed your mind? I enjoy the song but it is far from either singer’s best work. What doesn’t work for you? Genuinely curious.
October 17, 2024 @ 1:23 pm
Well, that was 11 years ago, and I never said I didn’t like it. I just said it wasn’t one of my favorite songs from either Hank Jr. or Waylon, and I would stand behind that. I’m not particular high on the music of Conway Twitty either, and I’ve said that over the years as well. But I run a traditional country music website, so when “The Conversation” gets a Gold certification, I feel it’s important to bring that information and some context to the audience.
October 17, 2024 @ 5:00 pm
I like the song just fine, but there’s one other Hank Jr and Waylon collaboration worth mentioning: Leave Them Boys Alone, off of Strong Stuff by Hank Jr. It’s a fun song poking fun at both of them. Great lines in it like ” they say Hank Jr has strayed away, from all those songs that put his daddy in an early grave..but his daddy would be proud..if he could see Bocephus now….
And regarding Waylon there’s a line that’s says ” ol Waylon has been known to play halftime, and he’s been known to get out of his mind, don’t know whether he’s right or wrong..gotta string of hits about two miles long..
Oh and as a bonus, Ernest Tubb sings all over it too.
The song has been largely forgotten, buts it’s pretty great IMO.
October 17, 2024 @ 8:08 pm
“Leave Them Boys Alone” is a classic, largely because of the presence of Ernest Tubb. And Tubb doesn’t just chime in, he’s actually the main singer on the track , who opens the song and introduces th title. Hearing that record was probably the first time I ever heard Ernest Tubb sing.–and it’s probably the last recording that E.T. ever did, or at least the last onethat was commercially released.
It was great that they brought Tubb in and let him to the heavy lifting because he really did know and appear with both Hank Sr. and Jr. Usually, when a real-old timer appears on a single by a current artists, he just makes a a cameo in the second half ot the song or the last verse. “Leave Them Boys” made it to #6 on the country singles chart, indicating that it was a significant radio hit. Interstingly, the writers credited on the song are Williams, Dean Dillon, Gary Stewart…. and Tanya Tucker. A lot of talent went into that track. (It must have been too crowded already to find space for Tanya to sing a couple of lines.)
October 19, 2024 @ 5:55 am
“One more time, Ernest…..”
October 17, 2024 @ 3:00 pm
There are no more country singers left. George got it right in “Who’s going to sing shoes songs”
October 17, 2024 @ 6:36 pm
Good song by two country gold certified artists. Ol’Hank might’ve not had done it their way but Hank Sr. was outlaw before’em all.
October 18, 2024 @ 1:23 am
That music video was great. That late 70’s and early 80’s Dukes of Hazzard/Smokey and the Bandit aesthetic was freakin’ cool. I think everyone would like to go back to the time where bars looked like that and there weren’t large screen TV’s everywhere and 20 years before smoking bans.
(Hank Jr even had a music video in the 80’s with the Van Halen guys in it. Everyone talks about 90’s country but I think the 80’s was cooler)
October 18, 2024 @ 12:43 pm
I’ve always enjoyed the reminiscing factor of the Conversation and I’m a big fan of both Hank Williams Jr and Waylon Jennings together and separate icons in country music. Hank Jr always put a little umph! Drive in his music..Do you wanna drank? Hell yeah!!