Song Information
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Title: The Conversation
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Artists: Waylon Jennings & Hank Williams Jr.
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Writers: Waylon Jennings, Richie Albright, Hank Williams Jr.
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Album: Waylon and Company
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Released: October 1983
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Label: RCA Records
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Genre: Country / Outlaw Country
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Producer: Jerry Bridges & Gary Scruggs
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Chart Performance: Reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart
“The Conversation” is a duet between Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr., featured on Jennings’ collaborative album Waylon and Company. The song stands out as a rare and poignant musical dialogue — one that addresses the complex legacy of country music legend Hank Williams Sr., from the perspective of those who knew him and those who carry his name.
Song Content
At its core, “The Conversation” is exactly what its title suggests — a heartfelt, honest conversation between two men. Waylon Jennings, representing an older generation of country artists, gently asks Hank Williams Jr. about his legendary father. The questions are respectful but probing: Did he know his father well? Was it hard living under such a towering shadow?
Hank Jr., in turn, responds not with bitterness, but with clarity and sincerity. He speaks candidly about his struggles growing up in the shadow of Hank Williams Sr., acknowledging the pressure, the admiration, and the pain of trying to honor a man he barely knew but was expected to emulate.
The format of the song — conversational, back-and-forth — makes the emotions feel raw and real. It’s not just two musicians singing; it’s two men reckoning with memory, legacy, and identity. Jennings doesn’t just ask questions for curiosity’s sake; he offers understanding and connection, acknowledging the burdens that come with fame and family. Together, they create a moving tribute — not just to Hank Sr., but to the power of honest dialogue between friends.
Explaining the Central Issue
What makes “The Conversation” so compelling isn’t just the subject matter — it’s the emotional tension underneath: How does a man build his own identity when he’s forever known as his father’s son?
Hank Williams Jr. spent much of his early career trying to fit into the mold carved out by his father, one of the most iconic figures in country music history. But as this song subtly reveals, that legacy was both a blessing and a burden. He was expected to sound like his father, dress like him, and carry the weight of a myth he never asked to inherit.
Through Jennings’ empathetic questions and Hank Jr.’s candid responses, we’re shown a rarely seen vulnerability. The conversation is not about stardom or music — it’s about a son trying to understand the man behind the legend, and what that means for his own life. Waylon, having known Hank Sr., becomes a kind of bridge between generations — not to offer answers, but to listen.
In a world where men, especially country legends, are taught to be stoic, this song stands out as an act of emotional courage. It’s not just about fame — it’s about understanding your roots while trying to grow beyond them.
Watch the Song Video:
Lyrics
Hank let’s talk about your daddy
Tell me how your momma loved that man
Well, just break a bottle hoss
I’ll tell ya’ about the drifting cowboy band
We wont talk about the habits
Just the music and the man thats all
Now Hank, you just gotta tell me
Did your daddy really write all them songs, did he
That don’t deserve no answer hoss
Let’s light up and just move along
Do you think he wrote ’em about your momma
Or about the man who done her wrong
You know that
Yeah, back then they called him crazy
Nowadays they call him a saint
Now the ones that call him crazy
Are still riding on his name
Well, if he was here right now Bocephus
Would he think that we were right?
Do you think he might?
Don’t you know he would Watasha
Be right here by our side
If we left for a show in Provo
Be the first one on the bus and ready to ride
Last one to go hoss
Wherever he is I hope he’s happy
You know, I hope he’s doing well
Yes, I do
He is
‘Cause he’s got one arm around my momma now
And her sure did love Miss Audrey and raising hell
I wont ask you no more questions
To the stories only Hank could tell
And he could tell’em
Back then they called him crazy
Now days they call him a saint
Most folks don’t know that
They fired him from the Opry
And that ’caused his greatest pain
I’d love to tell you about lovesick
How Miss Audrey loved that man
You know, I’ve always loved to listen to
The stories about that drifting cowboy band
That man
You know when we get right down to it
Still the most wanted outlaw in the land…