Song Information
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Title: Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way
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Artist: Waylon Jennings
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Writer: Waylon Jennings
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Album: Dreaming My Dreams
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Released: August 1975
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Genre: Outlaw Country
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Label: RCA Victor
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Producer: Jack Clement
This song became one of Waylon Jennings’ signature tracks and a defining anthem of the Outlaw Country movement. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and helped establish Waylon as both a rebel and a traditionalist in country music.
Song Meaning and Storyline
“Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” is more than just a tribute to Hank Williams—it’s a sharp commentary on the state of the country music industry in the 1970s. The song opens with imagery of flashy rhinestone suits and tour buses, but rather than glorifying the new country lifestyle, Waylon questions it. He wonders if the greats, like Hank Williams Sr., would approve of the commercialization and superficiality creeping into the genre.
Waylon uses a minimalist arrangement—steady drums, a haunting bassline, and his gravelly voice—to deliver a message of authenticity. He pays respect to the pioneers while subtly criticizing the system that now values image over soul. The repetitive line “Are you sure Hank done it this way?” serves as both a lament and a challenge, urging country music to remember its roots.
Deeper Insight: A Rebel’s Reflection on Tradition
At its core, the song addresses a conflict many artists faced during the 1970s—between staying true to tradition or adapting to a more commercial, industry-driven model. The reference to Hank (Hank Williams Sr.) isn’t just nostalgic; it’s symbolic. Hank represented raw honesty, struggle, and simplicity. His music emerged from pain and poverty, not record label boardrooms or marketing strategies.
Waylon, part of the Outlaw movement alongside Willie Nelson and others, was pushing back against the “Nashville sound”—a formulaic, polished approach dictated by producers. “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” becomes a statement of rebellion. It’s not anti-modernization, but it asks country artists to consider: Is the pursuit of fame, glitter, and industry approval worth the loss of soul and storytelling that defined legends like Hank?
By questioning, not condemning, Waylon invites both fans and musicians to reflect on what makes country music real—and whether they’re honoring that legacy.
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Lyrics
Lord it’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar
Where do we take it from here?
Rhinestone suits and new shiny cars
It’s been the same way for years
We need to change
Somebody told me when I came to Nashville
Son you finally got it made
Old Hank made it here, we’re all sure that you will
But I don’t think Hank done it this way, no
I don’t think Hank done it this way, okay
Ten years on the road, making one night stand
Speeding my young life away
Tell me one more time just so I’ll understand
Are you sure Hank done it this way?
Did old Hank really do it this way?
Lord I’ve seen the world with a five piece band
Looking at the back side of me
Singing my songs, one of his now and then
But I don’t think Hank done ’em this way, no
I don’t think Hank done ’em this way, take it home