Highwayman

Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson

About Highwayman

"Highwayman" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb, about a soul with incarnations in four different places in time and history: as a highwayman, a sailor, a construction worker on the Hoover Dam, and finally as a captain of a starship. The song was influenced by the real-life hanged highwayman Jonathan Wild. The dam builder verse alludes to the deaths of over one hundred men during the construction of Hoover Dam near Boulder City, Nevada, although none of those deaths resulted in a person being encased in concrete. Webb first recorded the song on his album El Mirage, released in May 1977. The following year, Glen Campbell recorded his version, which was released on his 1979 album Highwayman. In 1985, the song became the inspiration for the naming of the supergroup the Highwaymen, which featured Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson. Their first album, Highwayman, became a number one platinum-selling album, and their version of the song went to number one on the Hot Country Songs Billboard chart in a 20 week run. Their version earned Webb a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1986. The song has since been recorded by other artists. Webb himself included a different version on his 1996 album Ten Easy Pieces, a live version on his 2007 album Live and at Large, and a duet version with Mark Knopfler on the 2010 album Just Across the River. 


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I was a highwayman
Along the coach roads I did ride
With sword and pistol by my side
Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade
Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade
The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five
But I am still alive

I was a sailor
I was born upon the tide
And with the sea I did abide
I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico
I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow
And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed
But I am living still

I was a dam builder
Across the river deep and wide
Where steel and water did collide
A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado
I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below
They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound
But I am still around
I'll always be around and around and around and around and around

I fly a starship
Across the Universe divide
And when I reach the other side
I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can
Perhaps I may become a highwayman again
Or I may simply be a single drop of rain
But I will remain
And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again

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Johnny Cash

John R. "Johnny" Cash (February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003), was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. Although he is primarily remembered as a country music icon, his songs and sound spanned many other genres including rockabilly and rock and roll—especially early in his career—as well as blues, folk, and gospel. This crossover appeal led to Cash being inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Gospel Music Hall of Fame. more »

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Written by: Jimmy Webb

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


12 facts about this song

Origination
The song "Highwayman" was written by American songwriter Jimmy Webb in 1977.
Performances
The song has been performed by various artists. The version by the supergroup "The Highwaymen" (comprising Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings) is arguably the most popular.
First Release
Glenn Campbell was the very first artist to record "Highwayman" in 1979.
Inspiration
Webb wrote "Highwayman" after he had been driving through Phoenix, Arizona, and he became fascinated with the idea of reincarnation.
Content
In the song, four verses explore the soul of a man reincarnated through four different scenarios, each of which represents one of the Highwaymen: a highwayman, a sailor, a construction worker on the Hoover Dam, and a starship captain.
Recognition
The Highwaymen's version of "Highwayman" reached number one on the Billboard's Hot Country Songs and won the Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1985.
Legacy
"Highwayman", as performed by The Highwaymen, has been ranked on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
Album
The song is also the title track for the album "Highwayman", released by the supergroup The Highwaymen in 1985.
Personification
Unlike other typical country songs, Jimmy Webb used personification in the lyrics to represent a broader sense of life and its cycle.
Connection
The collaboration on "Highwayman" by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson was the start of The Highwaymen supergroup that went on to release three studio albums.
Genre
The song "Highwayman" is in the country, outlaw country genre known for its storytelling nature.
Live Performances
The Highwaymen performed "Highwayman" live all over America, one of the notable performances was in 1990 at Long Island's Nassau Coliseum.

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