Introduction
Back to What Matters: The Lasting Spirit of Waylon Jennings – Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) (1977)
Some songs don’t just entertain—they remind. They nudge us gently toward what really matters, stripping away the noise of the world until only the essentials remain. That’s exactly what Waylon Jennings – Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) (1977) does. Released during the height of the outlaw country movement, this track is more than a laid-back tune—it’s a philosophical pause button in the fast-moving life of modern America.
At a time when country music was veering between commercial polish and gritty rebellion, Waylon Jennings was carving out a lane of his own. With his weathered baritone and no-nonsense phrasing, he brought something refreshingly grounded to everything he touched. And nowhere is that more evident than in Luckenbach, Texas—a song that’s as much about emotional simplicity as it is about a real town in the Texas Hill Country.
From the very first line—”The only two things in life that make it worth livin’…”—you know you’re in for a song that values clarity over complication. Jennings doesn’t preach or lecture. Instead, he paints a portrait of a couple worn down by material pursuits—mansions, high society, and endless striving—and suggests an antidote: getting “back to the basics of love.”
Musically, the song is pure country gold. Smooth acoustic guitar, steel guitar licks that bend like slow-moving rivers, and a relaxed tempo that mirrors the easygoing lifestyle the lyrics celebrate. And let’s not forget the subtle but rich harmony vocals from Willie Nelson, whose understated presence adds a touch of timeless camaraderie.
What makes Waylon Jennings – Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) (1977) so powerful is its universality. Even if you’ve never been to Texas, never owned a satin dress or a four-car garage, the core message lands: sometimes happiness means having less, not more. It’s about time, connection, and slowing life down enough to actually feel it.
Decades later, the song still resonates—perhaps now more than ever. In a world saturated with digital distractions and status anxiety, Jennings’ reminder feels like a deep breath of fresh country air. Go back. Slow down. Love deeper. Live simpler.
Because as Waylon showed us with this enduring classic, the basics of love might just be the most extraordinary thing of all.
Video
Lyrics
The only two things in life that make it worth livin’
Is guitars that tune good and firm feelin’ women
I don’t need my name in the marquee lights
I got my song and I got you with me tonight
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we’re livin’
Got us feuding like the Hatfields and McCoys
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs and
Newbury’s train songs and “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain”
Out in Luckenbach, Texas, ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain
So baby, let’s sell your diamond ring
Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
In your high society, you cry all day
We’ve been so busy keepin’ up with the Jones
Four car garage and we’re still building on
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
With Waylon and Willie and the boys
This successful life we’re livin’ got us feudin’
Like the Hatfield and McCoys
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs and
Newbury’s train songs and “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain”
Out in Luckenbach, Texas, ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain
Let’s go to Luckenbach, Texas
Willie and Waylon and the boys
This successful life we’re livin’s got us feudin’
Like the Hatfield and McCoys
Between Hank Williams’ pain songs
And Jerry Jeff’s train songs and “Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain”
Out in Luckenbach, Texas, there ain’t nobody feelin’ no pain