Song Information
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Title: Women Do Know How to Carry On
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Artist: Waylon Jennings
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Album: What Goes Around Comes Around
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Songwriter: Waylon Jennings
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Producer: Richie Albright
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Label: RCA Victor
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Release Date: October 1979
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Genre: Outlaw Country
Originally released as part of Jennings’ 1979 album What Goes Around Comes Around, Women Do Know How to Carry On stands out as one of his most heartfelt yet understated tracks. Written by Jennings himself, the song is a testament to his deep respect for women—not just as muses of country ballads, but as real, resilient beings navigating heartbreak, family, and solitude with quiet grace. This track never became a major charting single, but it remains a favorite among Jennings’ long-time fans.
Song Summary
Women Do Know How to Carry On reflects Waylon Jennings’ mature perspective on love and loss. Through simple, poetic lines, he tells the story of a woman left behind—not just in romance, but in the everyday trenches of life. He contrasts the way men often crumble in the face of emotional hardship with the quiet strength of women, who continue raising children, holding down homes, and carrying emotional burdens without applause or recognition.
Jennings’ tone is not bitter or accusatory. Instead, it’s introspective, almost apologetic. The melody is mellow, understated—matching the emotional weight of the lyrics. There’s no big crescendo, no dramatic guitar solo. The storytelling does all the work, and that’s where the song’s power lies.
He doesn’t idealize women as perfect, nor does he cast men as villains. Instead, he simply acknowledges a truth he’s witnessed: that in many cases, when the world falls apart, it’s women who pick up the pieces—quietly, steadfastly, and often alone.
Explaining the Core Message
The title Women Do Know How to Carry On may sound like a cliché at first glance, but in the context of the lyrics and Jennings’ delivery, it becomes a powerful observation. The song touches on a deep cultural truth, particularly in Southern and working-class communities where traditional gender roles often left women with more than their fair share of emotional labor.
Jennings points out how, when a man leaves or life turns cruel, it is usually the woman who must “carry on”—raising the children, keeping the family structure intact, and maintaining dignity without external support. This idea challenges the often male-centric narrative of pain and heartbreak in country music.
It’s also important to recognize the time this song was released—1979. This was a period when second-wave feminism was reshaping cultural norms, and Jennings, known for his outlaw stance, acknowledges this quiet strength of women without making it political. It’s personal. It’s real.
What he sings is not flattery—it’s confession. And for many listeners, especially women who lived those lyrics, the song feels like recognition from a voice they didn’t expect it from.
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Lyrics
Women do know how to carry onWell there won’t be too much cryin’ time aloneThey’ll be right back puttin’ me and make up onWomen do know how to carry onWhen she can’t keep love afloat she will surviveIn her soft and sexy way she’s gonna shuck and jiveWipe the tears and find the things that she needs to get alongWomen do know how to carry on women do know how to carry on yeahNever knew a man who could take a fallThey’ll land right on their pride and then they waste it allBut even when the best she’s ever had is goneWomen do know how to carry onWomen do know how to carry on…Women do know how to carry onThey’ll be right back puttin’ me and make up onThere won’t be too much cryin’ time aloneThey’ll be right back puttin’ me and make up onWomen do know how to carry on