About The Song
“Bob Wills Is Still the King” is a song performed by Waylon Jennings, released in 1975 as a single on RCA Victor, later included on the album Dreaming My Dreams. Written by Waylon Jennings, the song pays tribute to Western swing pioneer Bob Wills, peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on October 4, 1975, and charting for 10 weeks. The 3:33 track blends country with a spoken-word intro, featuring lyrics like: “Well, the honky-tonks in Texas were my natural second home.”
Jennings recorded the song in 1975 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, produced by Waylon Jennings and Richie Albright. The session featured The Waylors, with Ralph Mooney on steel guitar, Jerry Gropp on guitar, and Richie Albright on drums, alongside session musicians including a fiddle section to honor Wills’ style. The arrangement includes a lively rhythm, Mooney’s steel guitar, fiddles, and Jennings’ conversational vocals, creating a celebratory yet nostalgic tone. The album Dreaming My Dreams reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 500,000 copies by 1976, earning gold certification from the RIAA.
The song’s creation came as Jennings sought to acknowledge the influence of Bob Wills on country music, particularly during the outlaw movement’s rise. Recorded as a spontaneous tribute, it includes a spoken introduction recorded live at a 1974 concert in Austin, Texas, reflecting Jennings’ connection to the Texas music scene. In a 1975 interview with Country Music magazine, Jennings said: “Bob Wills set the standard, and I wanted to remind folks of that.” The track gained exposure through its inclusion in the 1975 television special Country Music USA, aired on ABC, featuring a live performance.
Covers of the song are limited, but a 1976 version by Asleep at the Wheel appeared on Texas Gold, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1976 Grand Ole Opry appearance was released on the 2008 album Waylon Live: The Lost Nashville Sessions. The song appeared in the 1978 film Every Which Way but Loose, used in a bar scene, and in a 2019 episode of Yellowstone, featured during a western-themed moment. Jennings performed it with Willie Nelson at the 1976 Fourth of July Picnic in Gonzales, Texas, later released on the 1978 album Waylon & Willie.
Jennings frequently included “Bob Wills Is Still the King” in his live sets, notably at the 1975 Dripping Springs Reunion in Texas, where it honored local musical heritage. The song was performed at the 1985 Farm Aid benefit concert in Champaign, Illinois, and featured in a 2021 documentary, Waylon Jennings: Texas Roots, aired on PBS, exploring his connection to Western swing. The track remains a beloved tribute in Jennings’ catalog, often paired with other Texas-inspired songs, reinforcing his outlaw legacy.
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Lyric
Well, the honky-tonks in Texas were my natural second home
Where you tip your hats to the ladies and the rose of San Antone
I grew up a-dancin’ to the western swing
And I know the song it’s gonna playBob Wills is still the king
Of western swing, he taught the whole world how to swing
And I’ll never forget him for bringin’ it all back againOut in Hollywood they tell me that he’s out of style
But I know a few old fiddlers, still burnin’ with that fire
From California to Tennessee, the sound still ringsBob Wills is still the king
Of western swing, he taught the whole world how to swing
And I’ll never forget him for bringin’ it all back againWell, I can still see Texas playin’, with Fiddlin’ Wills and all his Texas playboys
And I remember way back yonder when the notes would ring so clear
But the world’s forgettin’ fast, but I won’t let it passBob Wills is still the king
Of western swing, he taught the whole world how to swing
And I’ll never forget him for bringin’ it all back again