Back to the basics
March 11th, 2011
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The Hill Country Theme · Willie Nelson · 1968
Play the song. Lyrics (Read the lyrics while you listen to the track.) Download MP3: The Hill Country Theme
Willie Nelson: Texas in My Soul
The Hill Country of TexasThe Texas Hill Country is a region of several counties in central Texas that stretches, roughly, west and south from Austin and north and west from San Antonio.
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The area was settled by Europeans. New Braunfels and Fredericksburg, for example, were founded in the 1840s by German settlers. In the Fredericksburg vicinity old country charm and heritage endure to this day. As a result of springs discharging water stored in the Edwards Aquifer, several cities were settled at the base of the Balcones Escarpment, including Austin and San Marcos.
The culture of the Hill Country of Texas is a fusion of Spanish and central European (German, Swiss, Austrian, Alsatian, and Czech) influences in food, beer, architecture, and music. It forms a uniquely “Texan” culture that is separate from the state’s southern and southwestern influences. For example, the accordion was popularized in Tejano music in the 19th century due to cultural exposure to German settlers.
In recent years, the Hill Country has emerged as the center of the Texas wine industry. And it has become a tourist destination as well, a place to get away from it all, and to get back to the basics of love.
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Bob Phillips is a part-time Hill Country Inn Keeper and has been the host of TV’s Texas Country Reporter since 1973. As such, he has traveled and reported on people and places on Texas country back roads for almost four decades. His show started in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in 1972, as “4 Country Reporter.” Back then, the show’s theme music was an instrumental version of Willie Nelson’s “The Hill Country Theme” (a song written by Cindy Walker). |
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas…
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Smack dab in the middle of the Hill Country is Luckenbach, Texas. It is just south of Fredericksburg and it is tiny. It consists of just a few buildings. It’s oldest building is a combination general store and saloon opened in the mid 1800’s by Minna Engel, whose father was an itinerant preacher from Germany. The main building in town is the dance hall. It is what makes Luckenbach: Luckenbach.
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 …with Waylon, and Willie,
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| They were two prominent artists in the Country Music Outlaw Movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson had each acquired creative recording control of their works and began a trend of bucking the established Nashville sound. |
Willie produced his Red Headed Stranger album in 1975, and even though the record label, Columbia, didn’t have much faith in the final product, it was a major success. It went Platinum twice. The big single from the album was an old song written by Fred Rose. “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” topped the Billboard Country chart for two weeks in the fall of 1975. It reached number 21 on the Hot 100, and it won Willie a Grammy award.
When Waylon was recording his Ol’ Waylon album in Moman’s American Studio in Nashville, an unexpected visitor dropped by the studio. It was Willie Nelson. Waylon was recording “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)“, a song that mentions both Waylon and Willie by name, along with Hank Williams and song writer Mickey Newbury.
In a moment of inspiration, Waylon invited Willie to add his voice to the final verse. Willie obliged, changing the order of their names and substituting “Jerry Jeff” (Walker) for “Newbury”.
The song debuted in the 100-position Billboard Country chart in April 1977, at position number 48. (BTW, That was the first time any record had entered that chart in a position above 50.) It claimed the top spot on May 21, 1977, and remained there for six weeks. It was certified gold on June 6, and went platinum on October 7. “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” also peaked at number 25 on the Hot 100.
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) · Waylon Jennings · 1977
Play the song. 
Lyrics (Read the lyrics while you listen to the track.)
Download MP3: Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)
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Waylon Jennings’ “Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” was from his album “Ol’ Waylon“. |
Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) · Waylon Jennings CDs
Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain · Willie Nelson · 1975
Play the song. Lyrics (Read the lyrics while you listen to the track.)
Download MP3: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
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Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” is from his album “Red Headed Stranger“. |
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain · Willie Nelson CDs
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| THE HILL COUNTRY THEME Lyrics Willie Nelson (Listen to “The Hill Country Theme” by Willie Nelson.) |
The hill country, the hill country of Texas
The hill country, the country that I love
Where wild wings fly above the peaceful valleys
And the Pedernales
Flows lazily beneath the Texas skies
The hill country, the hill country of Texas
It knew my folks, my family, and my friends
The boy who rode his pony in the sunlight
The man who prayed at midnight
And gave him strength to carry on again
And when
The night falls
And when
My God calls
Where wild wings fly above the peaceful valleys
By the Pedernales
Please let me sleep beneath the Texas skies
And when
The night falls
And when
My God calls
Where wild wings fly above the peaceful valleys
By the Pedernales
Please let me sleep beneath the Texas skies
| Go back to the story. |
| LUCKENBACH, TEXAS (BACK TO THE BASICS OF LOVE) Lyrics Waylon Jennings (Listen to “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” by Waylon Jennings.) |
The only two things in life that make it worth livin’
is guitars that tune good and firm feelin’ women.
I don’t need my name in the marquee lights.
I got my song and I got you with me tonight.
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love.
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
with Waylon and Willie and the boys.
This successful life we’re livin’
got us feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys.
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs and
Newbury’s train songs and Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain,
out in Luckenbach, Texas ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain.
So baby, let’s sell your diamond ring,
buy some boots and faded jeans, and go away.
This coat and tie is choking me.
In your high society you cry all day.
We’ve been so busy keepin’ up with the Jones’
four car garage and we’re still building on.
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love.
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
with Waylon and Willie and the boys.
This successful life we’re livin’ got us feudin’
like the Hatfields and McCoys.
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs and
Newbury’s train songs and Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain,
out in Luckenbach, Texas ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain.
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
with Willie and Waylon and the boys.
This successful life we’re livin’s got us feudin’
like the Hatfields and McCoys.
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs and
Jerry Jeff’s train songs and Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain,
out in Luckenbach, Texas there ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain.
| Go back to the story. |
| BLUE EYES CRYING IN THE RAIN Lyrics Willie Nelson (Listen to “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain” by Willie Nelson.) |
In the twilight glow I see her
Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we’d never meet again
Love is like a dyin’ ember
Only memories remain
And through the ages I’ll remember
Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
We’ll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no partin’
Blue eyes cryin’ in the rain
| Go back to the story. |
