About The Song
“White Lightning” was originally written and recorded by The Big Bopper (J.P. “Jiles” Richardson) in 1959. Waylon Jennings recorded his version in 1964 for his album “Waylon at JD’s”. The song deals with the subject of moonshine whiskey, a common theme in country music of that era.
Jennings’ version was recorded during his early career when he was still developing his distinctive outlaw country sound. At the time, he was performing regularly at JD’s club in Phoenix, Arizona, which is where the album was recorded live. The recording captured the raw energy of his live performances.
The Big Bopper’s original version had reached #26 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1959. Richardson wrote the song as a rockabilly number, but it translated well to country music. The song became a staple in honky-tonk repertoires across the South and Southwest.
Jennings’ interpretation helped introduce him to country audiences before his major label success. The album “Waylon at JD’s” was one of his earliest recordings and showcased his ability to blend country with rock and roll influences, which would later become his signature sound.
The song has been covered by numerous artists over the decades, including George Jones, who recorded a notable version in the 1960s. Other country artists who have recorded versions include Hank Williams Jr. and various rockabilly revival acts.
Richardson, known primarily for “Chantilly Lace,” wrote “White Lightning” shortly before his death in the plane crash that also killed Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens in February 1959. The song became one of his posthumous releases and remains one of his most enduring compositions.
The track helped establish the moonshine song as a subgenre within country music, influencing later songs about illegal whiskey and rural rebellion themes that would become central to outlaw country music in the 1970s.
Video
Lyric
Well, in North Carolina way back in the hills
Lived my old pappy and he had him a still
He brewed white lightnin’ till the sun went down
And then he’d fill him a jug, he’d pass it around
Mighty, mighty pleasin’, pappy’s corn squeezin’
White lightnin’
Yeah, the G-men, T-men, revenuers too
Searchin’ for the place where he made his brew
They were lookin’, tryin’ to book him
But my pappy kept on cookin’
White lightnin’
Well, I asked my old pappy why he called his brew
White lightnin’ ‘stead of mountain dew
I took a little sip and right away I knew as
As my eyes bugged out and my face turned blue
Lightnin’ started flashin’, thunder started crashin’
White lightnin’
Yeah, the G-men, T-men, revenuers too
Searchin’ for the place where he made his brew
They were lookin’, tryin’ to book him
But my pappy kept on cookin’
White lightnin’
Well, a city slicker came and he said, “I’m tough
I think I wanna taste that powerful stuff”
He took one swift slug and he drank it right down
And I heard him moanin’ as he hit the ground
Mighty, mighty pleasin’, your pappy’s corn squezin’
White lightnin’
Yeah, the G-men, T-men, revenuers too
Searchin’ for the place where he made his brew
They were lookin’, tryin’ to book him
But my pappy kept on cookin’