"Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way" is a song written and performed by American

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artist

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

. It was released in August 1975 as the first single from the album '' Dreaming My Dreams''. The song was Waylon Jennings' fourth number one on the country chart as a solo artist. The single stayed at number one for one week and spent a total of sixteen weeks on the country chart. The B-side to "Are You Sure ..." was "

Bob Wills is Still the King "Bob Wills Is Still the King" is a song written and performed by American country music artist Waylon Jennings, as a dig at one of Jennings’ closest friends, Willie Nelson, however it is most commonly attributed mistakenly as a tribute of sorts ...

", a tribute to the music of Wills. Although it never charted on its own, "Bob Wills ... " gained airplay and continues to be a staple at classic country radio stations.

Content

The song pays homage to the influence of Hank Williams Sr. in country music, and criticizes the glitz that had come to characterize top-selling country artists in the 1970s, through references to "rhinestone suits" and "new shiny cars."

Chart performance

Waylon Jennings

Alabama

Cover versions

Country band

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

covered the song in 2010 for the Waylon Jennings tribute album, ''The Music Inside: A Collaboration Dedicated to Waylon Jennings, Volume One'', which was released on February 8, 2011. Alabama's version was released as a single on December 13, 2010, via The Valory Music Co. *

Pat Green Patrick Craven Green (born April 5, 1972) is an American Texas Country artist. Active since 1995, he has recorded a total of seven studio albums, including several independent works, three for Republic Records and two for BNA. Fifteen of his s ...

and

Cory Morrow Cory Morrow (born May 1, 1972 in Houston, Texas) is a Texas Country singer-songwriter who has gained popularity throughout the Southwest. Biography Morrow was born May 1, 1972 in Houston, Texas. He started playing guitar at Memorial High Sch ...

covered the song on the album ''Songs We Wish We'd Written'' in 2001. *

Clint Black Clint Patrick Black (born February 4, 1962) is an American country music singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 1989, Black's debut album '' Killin' Time'' produced four straight number one singles on the ...

covered the song on his 1999 album ''

D'lectrified ''D'lectrified'' is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Clint Black, released on September 28, 1999. It is also the first album in Black's career that he produced by himself. The album was recorded entirely without electric ...

'', inserting Jennings' name in place of Williams'. Black's version adds an extended instrumental section, and features Jennings as a guest vocalist. *

Chequered Past Chequered Past was a British-American Rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup led by actor/singer Michael Des Barres and featuring members of Blondie (band), Blondie, the Sex Pistols and Tin Machine. They formed in 1982 and released one, ...

, featuring singer/actor

Michael Des Barres Michael Philip Des Barres (born 24 January 1948), the 26th Marquis Des Barres, is an English actor and rock singer. He appeared as Murdoc in the original ''MacGyver'', Nicholas Helman, Murdoc's mentor, on the new reboot of ''MacGyver'' (2016) ...

, covered this song on their 1984 eponymous album. *

Robert Earl Keen Robert Earl Keen (born January 11, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter and entertainer. Debuting with 1984's ''No Kinda Dancer'', the Houston native has recorded 20 full-length albums for both independent and major record labels. His songs ha ...

contributed a cover of the song to ''Lonesome, On'ry and Mean: A Tribute to Waylon Jennings''. *

Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey (; born 22 May 1959), known professionally as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then ...

performed a cover of the song at a concert in 2015 in Visalia. It later became the B-Side to his 2018 single "My Love, I'd Do Anything for You". *

Jack Ingram Jack Owen Ingram (born November 15, 1970) is an American country music artist formerly signed to Big Machine Records, an independent record label. He has released eleven studio albums, one extended play, six live albums, and 19 singles. Although ...

performed a cover of the song on the 2003 album ''Live at Billy Bob's Texas''. *

Uncle Tupelo Uncle Tupelo was an alternative country music group from Belleville, Illinois, active between 1987 and 1994. Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy, and Mike Heidorn formed the band after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primitives, left to attend c ...

released a cover of the song on the 2003 reissue of the album ''

Anodyne An anodyne is a drug used to lessen pain through reducing the sensitivity of the brain or nervous system. The term was common in medicine before the 20th century, but such drugs are now more often known as analgesics or painkillers. The term ''a ...

''. *

Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...

released a cover of this song and added/changed lyrics. *

The Mavericks The Mavericks are an American country music band from Miami, Florida. The band consists of Raul Malo (lead vocals, guitar), Paul Deakin (drums), Eddie Perez (lead guitar), and Jerry Dale McFadden (keyboards). Malo and Deakin founded the band in ...

cover it on their 2019 album “The Mavericks Play the Hits”.

In popular culture

*The song was prominently featured in a ''

Grand Theft Auto V ''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...

'' trailer for the wild, hard-living main character

Trevor Philips Trevor Philips is a fictional character and one of the three Player character, playable protagonists, alongside Michael De Santa and Franklin Clinton, of ''Grand Theft Auto V'', the seventh main title in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Au ...

and is also in the video game's soundtrack on the in-game radio station Rebel Radio. *The song is included on "The Highwaymen Live" movie from 1990. *The song was also included on the

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

for the 2009 film ''

Crazy Heart ''Crazy Heart'' is a 2009 American drama film, written and directed by Scott Cooper, in his feature directorial debut. Based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Thomas Cobb, the film centers on a down-and-out country music singer-songwriter ( ...

''.

References

{{authority control Cultural depictions of Hank Williams 1975 singles 2010 singles 1975 songs Waylon Jennings songs Clint Black songs Pat Green songs Jack Ingram songs Alabama (American band) songs The Mavericks songs Songs written by Waylon Jennings RCA Records singles