You ever feel like you're living someone else’s life? Like you’re wearing a suit that’s three sizes too small and itchy as hell? That was Randall Hank Williams in the early 1970s. He was trapped. Most folks don't realize how suffocating it was for him to be "Hank Williams Jr." during those first ten years of his career. He was literally a tribute act to his own father. People didn't want to hear what Bocephus had to say; they wanted to hear "Your Cheatin' Heart" for the millionth time.
Then came 1977.
Feelin Better isn't just a song. It’s a liberation papers. If you listen to the track off the album The New South, you aren't just hearing a country-rock tune. You’re hearing the exact moment a man stops caring about expectations and starts caring about his soul.
The Break From Nashville’s Machine
By the mid-70s, Hank Jr. was done. He moved to Alabama in 1974, physically and mentally checking out of the Nashville "Music City" scene that insisted he stay a ghost of his father. Feelin Better lays it all out in the very first verse. He talks about how people wouldn't let him sing anything but those "old sad songs." It's heavy. He admits he had to get high just to keep from crying because those songs hit too close to home.
The song is raw. It’s honest. It’s a middle finger to the industry.
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When he sings about "getting it together between Macon and Muscle Shoals," he’s talking about the geography of Southern Rock. Macon was the home of Capricorn Records and The Allman Brothers. Muscle Shoals was where the swampy, soulful magic happened. This wasn't the "polished" Nashville sound. This was grease, grit, and loud-as-hell guitars.
Why the Production Mattered
Waylon Jennings and Richie Albright produced this track. You can hear Waylon’s influence in every thump of the bass and every kick of the drum. It’s got that "Outlaw" shuffle—the kind that makes you want to drive a little faster on a backroad.
- Release Date: 1977
- Album: The New South
- Producer: Waylon Jennings & Richie Albright
- Chart Position: Peaked at #38 on the US Country Charts
It wasn't a massive #1 hit at the time, but who cares? The importance of Feelin Better isn't measured in chart numbers. It’s measured in how it redefined Hank’s career. It was the bridge between his "tribute" years and the superstar "Bocephus" era of the 1980s.
Breaking Down the Lyrics
The lyrics are basically a diary entry. Hank Jr. is name-dropping the people who actually helped him find his voice. "Waylon and Toy and all them boys," he sings. He’s talking about Waylon Jennings and Toy Caldwell from the Marshall Tucker Band. These were the guys who told him to stop trying to be a ghost and start being a man.
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He says, "Your fiddle and your steel make me play what I feel / And I don't feel Lovesick Blues."
That is a direct shot at his father's most famous song. It’s not a sign of disrespect—it’s a sign of healing. He’s saying he finally found a sound that doesn't hurt. He’s through with trying to "put everybody on."
Honestly, the honesty is what sticks. Most artists today wouldn't admit they were faking it for years. Hank just puts it out there. He had to eat a little cornbread, sleep on a featherbed, and drink some homegrown to find himself. It sounds like a dream, but for him, it was survival.
The Cultural Impact of the "New South" Sound
In 1977, the South was changing. The "New South" wasn't just a political term; it was a musical one. Hank Jr. was at the forefront of blending the traditional country he grew up on with the rock and roll he actually liked.
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Feelin Better showed that you could be proud of your heritage without being a slave to it. You could love "Ol' Hank" but still turn up the Marshall amps. This song gave permission to a whole generation of country fans to like Southern Rock. It's why you see guys like Eric Church or Creed Fisher covering it today. It’s the blueprint for the modern "country-rock" attitude.
The Live Energy
If you ever find a rare live recording of this song from the late 70s, listen to the crowd. They aren't just clapping; they’re shouting. They knew. They saw the transformation. He "rocked 'em in Raleigh and knocked 'em out in Knoxville." He wasn't just a name on a marquee anymore; he was a force of nature.
Actionable Takeaways for Hank Fans
If you're just getting into the deeper cuts of Bocephus, or if you've only heard "All My Rowdy Friends," here is how to truly appreciate this era:
- Listen to The New South in its entirety. Don't just skip to the hits. You need to hear the context of the whole album to understand how Feelin Better fits the narrative of his comeback.
- Compare the vocals. Go back and listen to a recording from 1966, then play Feelin Better. The difference in his voice—the confidence, the rasp, the soul—is staggering. It's like two different people.
- Trace the Southern Rock roots. Look up Toy Caldwell’s guitar work and see how it influenced the "bending them guitar strings" style Hank talks about in the lyrics.
- Watch the Living Proof movie. It’s an old made-for-TV biopic, but it covers this exact period of his life and the mountain fall that nearly killed him right before this era truly exploded.
Hank Jr. didn't just get better; he got real. Feelin Better is the sound of a man finding his own soul between the notes of a steel guitar. It’s the ultimate reminder that you can always reinvent yourself, no matter whose shadow you're standing in.