Just To Satisfy You

Album: Black On Black (1982)
Charted: 52
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In 1982, Waylon Jennings turned "Just To Satisfy You," an uptempo number about a serial heartbreaker, into his third #1 duet with Willie Nelson on the Country chart (following "Good Hearted Woman" and "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys"), but it was written nearly two decades earlier.

    Jennings penned the track with country singer-songwriter Don Bowman in 1963 and had a regional hit with it on Phoenix radio the following year. He also used it as the title tune of his 1969 album. But it nearly didn't make it into the recording studio at all.

    "I never thought that song was finished in the beginning," Jennings recalled in The Billboard Book Of Number One Country Hits. "We were gonna throw it away, but we turned it around and wrote another bridge, or another verse, and made it right."
  • By the '60s, Bowman had relocated to El Paso, Texas, but still flew to Arizona regularly to write songs with Jennings. This was one of four tunes they wrote together in a Phoenix motel room.
  • Jennings' first version was produced by Herb Alpert and featured a harpsichord in the arrangement. It was backed with Ian Tyson's "Four Strong Winds." Country singer Bobby Bare covered both tunes and put in a good word for Jennings with Chet Atkins, who signed him to RCA Victor in 1965 and produced his Just To Satisfy You album a few years later.
  • Jennings credited his co-writer with the idea for the duet. "I think Bowman got a hold of Willie when we was doin' those albums together," he explained. "He said, 'Do that song, do that song,' so when the album came up, Willie wanted to do that song. It was his idea more than mine."
  • This rose to #1 on the heels of another Willie Nelson chart-topper: "Always On My Mind."
  • The Jennings/Nelson duet was recorded for Jennings' Black On Black album, which reunited him with his Ol' Waylon producer, Chips Moman, who had also just produced Nelson's Always On My Mind.
  • This was covered by Glen Campbell, Jerry Reed, Barbara Mandrell, and Hank Williams Jr.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Hawksley Workman

Hawksley WorkmanSongwriter Interviews

One of Canada's most popular and eclectic performers, Hawksley tells stories about his oldest songs, his plentiful side projects, and the ways that he keeps his songwriting fresh.

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo Lyric

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo LyricMusic Quiz

In this quiz, spot the artist who put Romeo into a song lyric.

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

Stan Ridgway

Stan RidgwaySongwriter Interviews

Go beyond the Wall of Voodoo with this cinematic songwriter.

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.