Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson go hand-in-hand just like peanut butter and jelly, or, in this case, an outlaw and his country music — you just can't have one without the other.
According to Texas Hill Country, Waylon and Willie were on tour together halted in Fort Worth, Texas, when Waylon heard a commercial on the TV about Tina Turner. The commercial called Turner "a good-hearted woman loving two-timing men."
Waylon interrupted Willie's poker game to tell him about the commercial and how he had an idea for this new song. Willie's wife, Connie, took notes for the boys as they bantered lyrics back and forth.
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The tune became the title track of Waylon's 1972 album, Good Hearted Woman. The song peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. In 1975, Waylon and Willie recorded the song as a duet for the album Wanted: The Outlaws!. The album became country music's first platinum album. The song finally hit No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles and at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also won the Single of the Year award in the 1976 Country Music Association Awards. Tina Turner recorded the song and put it on her Soul Deep record in light of the song's success.
'Good Hearted Woman' Lyrics:
A long time forgotten are dreams that just fell by the way
The good life he promised ain't what she's living today
But she never complains of the bad times or bad things he's done, Lord
She just talks about the good times they've had and all the good times to come
She's a good-hearted woman in love with a good-timin' man
She loves him in spite of his ways that she don't understand
Through teardrops and laughter, they'll pass through this world hand-in-hand,
A good-hearted woman loving her good timing man
He like the night life, the bright lights and good-timin' friends
When the party's all over she'll welcome him back home again
Lord knows she don't understand him, but she does the best that she can
'Cause she's a good-hearted woman; she loves her good timin' man
She's a good-hearted woman in love with a good-timin' man
She loves him in spite of his ways that she don't understand
Through teardrops and laughter, they'll pass through this world hand-in-hand,
A good-hearted woman loving her good timing man
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