Nashville in 1975 was a weird place for a guy like Waylon Jennings. Imagine being a grown man, a seasoned pro who survived the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, and you’re still being told what to wear by a suit in a glass office. They wanted the sequins. They wanted the "Nashville Sound"—that polished, string-heavy production that basically sanded the edges off anything that sounded too much like the dirt.
Waylon wasn't having it.
He was tired. Ten years on the road will do that to you. He was frustrated with the "rhinestone suits and new shiny cars" that seemed to define success in the music city. So, he sat down and wrote a song on the back of an envelope that basically blew the doors off the hinges of the country music establishment.
The Day the Rhinestones Cracked
When you listen to Waylon Jennings Did Hank Do It This Way, you aren't just hearing a catchy country tune. You’re hearing a manifesto. The song, officially titled "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way," served as the opening track for his 1975 masterpiece, Dreaming My Dreams.
It’s a simple song. Honestly, it’s just two chords. But those two chords carried the weight of a whole movement.
Waylon was asking a pointed question about Hank Williams, the "Hillbilly Shakespeare" himself. Hank was the gold standard of authenticity. He was raw, he was troubled, and he was real. Waylon looked at the 1970s Nashville scene—filled with overproduced tracks and artists who looked more like lounge singers than cowboys—and wondered if the man who wrote "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" would even recognize the genre anymore.
The lyrics didn't mince words:
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"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."
He was calling out the industry's tendency to formulaic "hit-making" over actual artistry. It wasn't just a song; it was a line in the sand.
Breaking the RCA Chains
To understand why this song sounds the way it does, you have to look at how it was made. Usually, RCA artists recorded in RCA studios with RCA union engineers. It was a closed loop. Waylon hated it. He felt the life being sucked out of his music by sterile environments and people who didn't understand the "growl" in his voice.
He fought for artistic control. It was a legendary battle. He eventually won the right to record at Glaser Sound Studios, a place owned by his friend Tompall Glaser. This was "Hillbilly Central." It was the headquarters for the Outlaw Country movement.
Working with producer "Cowboy" Jack Clement, Waylon created a sound that was muddy, thick, and heavy on the bass. It had a "midnight mind" feel to it. They used a phaser effect on the guitar—something you’d expect in a rock or psychedelic record, not a country single.
- The Gear: They used UREI 1176 and LA-2A compressors to get that tight, punchy vocal sound.
- The Vibe: It was recorded in a room that felt like a hangout, not a laboratory.
- The Result: A track that spent 16 weeks on the charts and became Waylon’s third number-one hit.
Why Hank Williams Was the Measuring Stick
Why bring up Hank? Why not Jimmie Rodgers or Bob Wills?
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Hank Williams represented the soul of country music that felt like it was slipping away. By 1975, Hank had been dead for over 20 years, but his ghost still loomed large over 16th Avenue South. He was the ultimate outsider who became the ultimate insider, yet he never lost his edge.
Waylon felt that the industry was using Hank’s name to sell a lifestyle that Hank never actually lived. The "shiny cars" and the "rhinestone suits" were the trappings of a business that had forgotten the music.
When Waylon sings, "Tell me one more time just so's I'll understand," he isn't actually asking for directions. He’s being sarcastic. He knows exactly how Hank did it. Hank did it with heart, pain, and a complete lack of pretension.
The Impact of a Two-Chord Revolution
It’s funny how the simplest things often have the biggest impact. "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" is a masterclass in minimalism. There’s no flashy bridge. There’s no complex key change. It’s just a steady, driving beat—a "four on the floor" rhythm that felt more like a heart monitor than a drum kit.
This song, along with the rest of the Dreaming My Dreams album, helped cement the Outlaw Country genre. It gave permission to guys like Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver, and Kris Kristofferson to stop trying to fit into the Nashville mold.
It proved that you could be a massive commercial success without wearing the suit.
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Actually, it did more than that. It changed the way RCA handled their artists. After Waylon broke the "Engineers Union" rules, other artists demanded the same freedom. Eventually, the big labels realized they couldn't control the creative process like a factory line anymore.
The Legacy Beyond the 70s
You can still hear the echoes of this song today. Every time a modern country artist complains about "Bro-Country" or the "Pop-Country" machine on the radio, they are essentially asking the same question Waylon asked.
The song has been covered by everyone from Alabama to Steve Earle. Even Charley Crockett performed it recently at Farm Aid, proving that the sentiment hasn't aged a day. The struggle between "art" and "commerce" is eternal in Nashville.
Waylon didn't just write a hit; he wrote a reminder.
He reminded us that country music belongs to the people who live it, not the people who package it. He showed us that looking back at your heroes isn't about nostalgia—it's about making sure you haven't lost your way in the present.
Actionable Insights for Country Music Fans and Musicians:
- Listen to the Production: If you’re a musician, study the "Dreaming My Dreams" album. Notice how the bass and the phaser effect on the guitar create a specific mood that was revolutionary for 1975.
- Explore the Outlaw Catalog: Don't stop at the hits. Check out the B-side of this single, "Bob Wills Is Still the King," which was recorded live in Austin and shows the other side of Waylon’s "outlaw" persona.
- Support Independent Spirit: Look for modern artists who are currently recording in independent studios or pushing back against the "formula." The spirit of Waylon is alive in the artists who prioritize their sound over their "image."
- Read the History: For a deeper look into this era, read Waylon's autobiography or "Outlaw: Waylon, Willie, Kris, and the Renegades of Nashville" by Michael Streissguth. It puts the "Hank" question into its full political and social context.
The next time you hear that steady thumping beat and Waylon’s baritone growl asking if Hank did it this way, remember: he already knew the answer. He just wanted to make sure you were paying attention.