When Alan Jackson released Under the Influence in 1999, Nashville was a bit confused. Most superstars at the peak of their powers don't spend an entire album cycle singing other people's songs. They definitely don't release a seven-minute-long, slow-burn ballad as a single to country radio. But Alan Jackson The Blues Man wasn't about chasing the charts. It was a statement.
Honestly, if you look at the Billboard data from that era, "The Blues Man" didn't exactly set the world on fire compared to his other hits. It peaked at number 37 on the Hot Country Songs chart. By Alan Jackson standards, that’s a "flop." But if you ask a die-hard fan which song gut-punches them the hardest, this is the one.
It's raw. It's long. It's basically a seven-minute confession booth set to a steel guitar.
The Story Behind the Song
First things first: Alan didn't write this.
Hank Williams Jr. wrote it back in the late 70s. It originally appeared on his 1980 album Habits Old and New. While Hank’s version is legendary among outlaws, Jackson’s cover brought a different kind of gravity to the lyrics. He recorded it as a tribute to Bocephus, but in doing so, he made it a mirror for every artist who has ever struggled with the weight of the spotlight.
The lyrics tell the story of a "natural born guitar ringer" who gets swallowed up by the lifestyle.
We're talking about:
- The heavy drinking.
- The "things" that messed up his thinking.
- Getting "cuffed on dirt roads."
- Getting sued over "no shows."
It’s a brutal look at rock bottom. When Alan sings about the woman who "stuck it out with this blues man," it feels personal. Even though he wasn't the one who got cuffed on a dirt road, he was living the "travelin' band" life. He knew the toll it took on a marriage.
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Why the Length Mattered
You’ve got to realize how bold it was to put a 7:05 track on a mainstream country album. Most radio programmers start sweating if a song goes over three and a half minutes.
Jackson didn't care.
He kept the instrumental breaks. He kept the slow, deliberate pacing. This wasn't a song designed for a commute; it was a song designed for a dark room and a glass of something strong. The production by Keith Stegall is minimal. You can hear every breath. You can hear the slide of the fingers on the strings.
By the time the song hits the halfway mark, the narrator is "over forty years old now." For Jackson, who was 41 when the song was released, that line carried a weight that a younger singer just couldn't fake.
Breaking Down the Versions
| Feature | Hank Williams Jr. (1980) | Alan Jackson (1999) |
|---|---|---|
| Vibe | Grit and survival | Reverence and reflection |
| Length | Approx. 4 minutes | Over 7 minutes |
| Focus | The struggle itself | The redemption through the woman |
Actually, George Jones and Dolly Parton even did a version of this song later. It’s one of those tracks that country royalty keeps coming back to because it’s so "true."
The "Under the Influence" Era
The album itself was a bit of a gamble. At a time when Shania Twain and Garth Brooks were pushing country toward pop-stardom, Alan went the other way. He covered Gene Watson’s "Farewell Party" and Jim Ed Brown’s "Pop a Top."
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He was basically saying, "This is who I am."
Alan Jackson The Blues Man became the center of that project. It wasn't just a cover; it was a lineage. He was connecting himself to the "blues man that's already gone"—a nod to the original Hank Williams—and to the surviving legend of Hank Jr.
Some critics at the time thought it was too slow. They said it lacked the "hook" of "Chattahoochee." Well, obviously. It wasn't meant to be a line-dance anthem. It was meant to be a character study.
What Most People Miss
There’s a subtle shift in the song that people often miss on the first listen.
In the beginning, the narrator is talked about in the third person. "He's just a singer." "He's not a walk-behinder."
But by the end? It shifts. Alan starts singing, "I'm over forty years old now."
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That transition from "he" to "I" is the whole point of the performance. It’s an admission that every singer has a bit of that "blues man" in them. The exhaustion, the loneliness of the road, and the absolute necessity of having someone at home who loves the man, not the "macho man" image.
Actionable Insights for the Fan and the Listener
If you’re just discovering this side of Alan Jackson, don't stop at the radio edit. Here is how to actually appreciate the depth of this track:
- Listen to the full album version. Don't settle for the 3-minute radio cut if you can find it. The seven-minute version on Under the Influence or Greatest Hits Volume II is the only way to experience the intended emotional arc.
- Compare it to Hank Jr.'s original. Hearing the difference in their vocal delivery tells you everything you need to know about their different brands of "outlaw" country.
- Watch the Farm Aid 2000 performance. Seeing Alan perform this live (sometimes with Hank Jr. joining him) shows how much respect there is between those two generations.
- Pay attention to the steel guitar. Paul Franklin’s work on this track is a masterclass in atmospheric country playing. It’s not just background noise; it’s a second voice.
The reality is that Alan Jackson The Blues Man represents a moment where a superstar chose art over airplay. It might not have been his biggest hit, but it remains one of his most respected pieces of work because it didn't try to be anything other than a sad, honest song.
Next time you’re feeling a bit "sunk" yourself, put this on. It won’t cheer you up—it's not meant to—but it’ll definitely make you feel less alone in the dark.
Next Steps for the Reader
- Locate the Under the Influence CD or vinyl to hear the track in its original sequence, specifically following "Right in the Palm of Your Hand" for the full emotional context.
- Look up the songwriting credits for the rest of the album to see the other legends Alan was paying tribute to during this specific 1999 recording session.