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Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)
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Wikipedia article
The "'Theme from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' (Good Ol' Boys)'" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Waylon Jennings. It was released in August 1980 as the second single from the album 'Music Man'. Recognizable to fans as the theme to the CBS comedy adventure television series 'The Dukes of Hazzard', the song became a #1 hit on the 'Billboard' Hot Country Singles chart in 1980.
Song lyrics
Just the good ol' boys
Never meaning no harm
Beats all you never saw, been in trouble with the law
Since the day they was born
Straightening the curves, flattening the hills
Someday the mountain might get 'em but the law never will
Making their way, the only way they know how
That's just a little bit more than the law will allow
Just the good ol' boys, wouldn't change if they could
Fighting the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods
Song history
As the narrator for the movie 'Moonrunners' (1975), Jennings was tapped to serve in the same capacity for 'The Dukes of Hazzard' which premiered on CBS in 1979 and was based on 'Moonrunners'. Jennings wrote the theme song for the show and recorded two versions: the television theme version and a slightly different version made commercially available on both single and album which received radio airplay.Roland, Tom, "The Billboard of Number One Country Hits" (Billboard Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 ), p. 426-427
The television show version features Larry McNeely's banjo work which the commercially available version does not. Additionally, the television version's third verse contains the lyric, "Fightin' the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods", which is accompanied by a "Yee-haw!" said by characters, Bo Duke (John Schneider) and Luke Duke (Tom Wopat), though it is in fact Schneider's vocal used twice.
The commercially available version receiving radio airplay contains a musical bridge which follows the first verse and chorus. Also, following the commercial version's second chorus, Jennings makes a tongue-in-cheek reference to his faceless appearance in the credits by singing, "I'm a good ol' boy, you know my mama loves me, but she don't understand, they keep-a showin' my hands and not my face on TV" (a statement referring to the opening shot in the television theme version where Jennings is only shown below the neck playing guitar).
Most of Jennings' greatest hits albums and various compilation releases containing the "Theme from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' (Good Ol' Boys)" feature the commercially available version.
Commercial performance
In November 1980, "Theme from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' (Good Ol' Boys)" became Jennings' twelfth #1 country hit overall (tenth as a solo recording act). The song spent seventeen weeks on the 'Billboard' country singles charts and became his biggest hit on the 'Billboard' Hot 100, peaking at #21. It also appeared on several other music charts. The original 1980 single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales over a million. Subsequent to the 2005 movie, the song was certified platinum in 2007 for a million ringtone sales. Note: the certification sales qualification levels had been changed in 1989.
Charts
Other versions
The song was covered by the Swedish Lo-fi-group Loosegoats on their demo 'For Sale by Owner' but has never been featured on any of their full-length albums.
Rapper Lil Wyte sampled the song on his song "Comin' Yo Direction" off his album 'Doubt Me Now'.
The song was frequently covered live by Ween during their brief country phase.
Other artists
Waylon Jennings' son Shooter Jennings is known for singing "Good ol' Boys" at the Dukefests, which honor the series, and his late father.
Along with Willie Nelson and Ben L. Jones (Cooter on the series), Waylon Jennings sang the song in an extended version.
Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song while driving The General Lee for their album 'The Chipmunks Go Hollywood' (1982).
In 2006, John Schneider (Bo Duke), Tom Wopat (Luke Duke), and Catherine Bach (Daisy Duke) made a music video, as seen on the 7th Season DVD of the series. Schneider also covered the song.
In 'The Dukes of Hazzard' film adaptation (2005), a recording of Waylon Jennings was used in one scene, also, as heard on the soundtrack, by Willie Nelson (Uncle Jesse in the film).
In the film 'The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning' (2007), country singer John Anderson sings the theme.
Rock band Cage9, performed a cover version of the song was heard in the trailers from the same two films.
Nike used the song in an advertising campaign featuring NFL star Randy Moss and NBA star Jason Williams, who were teammates in the same high school in rural Belle, West Virginia.
The song was featured in 'Supernatural' season 15's "Last Call" where it was sung by Jensen Ackles and Christian Kane as their characters Dean Winchester and Lee Webb.
Josh Turner released a version of the song on his Country State Of Mind cd
Mexican country group The Forasteros covers the theme song live.
John Schneider has released 2 album versions and sung the song with Ray Stevens and several others through the years.
References
Further reading
*Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.
*Whitburn, Joel, "Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006," 2007.
Category:1980 singles
Category:Waylon Jennings songs
Category:Comedy television theme songs
Category:The Dukes of Hazzard
Category:Songs written by Waylon Jennings
Category:RCA Records singles
Category:1980 songs
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