About The Song
“Tulsa Time” is an upbeat country rocker by Don Williams, released in October 1978 as the lead single from his MCA Records album Expressions. Written by Danny Flowers, it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for one week in January 1979, Williams’ eighth of 17 chart-toppers, and reached No. 30 on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary chart. The 3:15 track, with its driving beat and twangy guitar, tells of a man leaving a stifling job in Toledo for the freedom of Tulsa, Oklahoma: “I left a job in Toledo town / I made up my mind to leave / Tulsa time is callin’ me.” Williams’ smooth, laid-back baritone, dubbed the “Gentle Giant” by CMT, gives it a breezy charm. Flowers told American Songwriter in 2010, “I wrote it in Tulsa, feeling that rhythm of the town. Don made it his own.” Rolling Stone calls it “a country anthem of breaking free,” cementing its status as a genre classic.
Recorded in 1978 at Jack Clement Recording Studios in Nashville, the track was produced by Williams and Garth Fundis. The band included Danny Flowers on guitar, David Cochran on bass, Shane Keister on keyboards, Pat McLaughlin on mandolin, and Kenny Malone on drums and congas, with backing vocals by Charles Cochran and Joe Allen, per Discogs. The song’s lively arrangement, blending country with rockabilly swagger, features a D-G-A chord progression and “livin’ on Tulsa time” hook, per ChordU, making it a dancehall favorite. AllMusic praises its “effortless groove,” noting Williams’ ability to “sell a song with quiet conviction.” The album Expressions reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 83 on the Billboard 200. Eric Clapton’s 1978 cover, from Backless, hit No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, but Williams’ version defined the song’s country soul.
Don Williams, born May 27, 1939, in Floydada, Texas, was a country music titan, with 45 Top 10 country hits from 1974 to 1991. Starting with the folk trio Pozo-Seco Singers, he went solo in 1971, becoming a soft-spoken superstar with hits like “I Believe in You” (No. 1, 1980). Wikipedia highlights his 2010 Country Music Hall of Fame induction and global fanbase, especially in the UK and Australia. “Tulsa Time” was a live staple, performed at his 1979 Grand Ole Opry shows and a 1982 BBC concert, with a YouTube clip showing his easy charisma. Covers include Jason & The Scorchers (1986), The Bacon Brothers (2009), and Alan Jackson with The Zac Brown Band (2016), per SecondHandSongs. Reddit fans on r/country call it “the ultimate road-trip song,” praising its infectious rhythm.
The song appeared in no major films but thrives on Spotify and Amazon Music, with Shazam users tagging it for its catchy vibe. No controversies surround it—just Williams’ understated cool, as No Depression notes: “Don didn’t need flash; his voice was the star.” Williams, who died September 8, 2017, left a legacy of timeless simplicity, and “Tulsa Time” remains a celebration of freedom and rhythm, inviting listeners to kick back and live on Tulsa time.
Lyric
I left a job in Toledo town
I made up my mind to leave
Tulsa time is callin’ me
And I ain’t never goin’ back againWell, I got a one-way ticket on a westbound train
Takin’ me back to where I wanna be
Livin’ on Tulsa time
Livin’ on Tulsa time
Gonna set my watch back to it
‘Cause you know I’ve been through it
Livin’ on Tulsa timeWell, I got tired of workin’ every day
And never gettin’ nowhere
Tulsa’s got a rhythm that’s callin’ me
And I’m headin’ thereWell, I got a one-way ticket on a westbound train
Takin’ me back to where I wanna be
Livin’ on Tulsa time
Livin’ on Tulsa time
Gonna set my watch back to it
‘Cause you know I’ve been through it
Livin’ on Tulsa timeSo I’m leavin’ behind the heartache
And all the pain that I’ve been through
Tulsa’s got a hold on me
And I’m never goin’ back againWell, I got a one-way ticket on a westbound train
Takin’ me back to where I wanna be
Livin’ on Tulsa time
Livin’ on Tulsa time
Gonna set my watch back to it
‘Cause you know I’ve been through it
Livin’ on Tulsa time
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