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On This Day: Waylon Jennings Records ‘Mississippi Woman’ in 1970

Though he passed away nearly two decades ago, the music of Waylon Jennings still has an impact on today’s culture.

Jennings was an icon in the music industry, pioneering the “Outlaw Country” era that saw a new brand of country emerge. He went into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001, a year before his death. Jennings has long been one of the most influential music artist of all time. Several current artists, across numerous musical genres, list him as an influence and source of inspiration.

Though he had a number of hit songs, one of this biggest hits, “Mississippi Woman” was recorded on this date (Feb. 27) in 1970. The song was a single from his album “The Taker/Tulsa” released in 1971 via RCA Nashville. The album rose all the way to number 12 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.

Waylon Jennings Sings of Jaded Love in ‘Mississippi Woman’

The song still carries relevance today and is considered one of Jennings’ classic tunes. The song was written with the late Red Layne, as the two musicians worked together well and often. It was released as a single off his studio album in March 1971. The song would reach toward the top 10 of various music charts though it never got inside the U.S. top 10. It topped out at number 14 in the United States. The song did even better in Canada did it did in the states, reaching the number six spot on Canadian country charts.

The song’s lyrics describe a unrequited love interest in a “Mississippi woman” by “Louisiana man.” The song’s chorus states the man’s love for the Mississippi Woman but that “her heart does not belong to me.”

“How I love that Mississippi woman,” the chorus begins. “I love that Mississippi girl. How I love that Mississippi woman.
But her heart did not belong to me.”

Waylon Jennings would pass from this world and on to the next on Feb. 13, 2002. Fans across multiple music genres mourned the loss of the country music trailblazer. He passed away at his home after a long battle with diabetes. He was 64-years-old at the time of his passing.