Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)
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| “Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Waylon Jennings from the album Music Man |
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| Released | August 1980 | ||||
| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | 1980 | ||||
| Genre | Country, pop | ||||
| Length | 2:06 | ||||
| Label | RCA Records 12067 | ||||
| Writer(s) | Waylon Jennings | ||||
| Producer | Richie Albright | ||||
| Certification | Gold (RIAA) | ||||
| Waylon Jennings singles chronology | |||||
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"Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)" is a song made famous by country music singer Waylon Jennings. Recognizable to fans as the theme to the CBS comedy adventure television series The Dukes of Hazzard, the song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in 1980.
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[edit] Song history
Jennings, who had served as the narrator for the 1975 movie Moonrunners, 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, eventually cutting two versions; in addition to the television version, he recorded a slightly different version for commercial sale and radio airplay. [1]
The differences between the television theme version and the commercially available recording are as follows:
- TV theme — The third verse contains the lyric: "Fightin' the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods." (along with the "Yee-haw!" by characters Bo and Luke Duke, although it is in fact Bo's vocal used twice).
- Single/album version — A musical bridge follows the first verse and refrain. After the second refrain, Jennings makes a tongue-in-cheek reference about how his mother doesn't understand "why they keep showing my hands and not my face on TV" (a statement to the opening shot in the theme where Jennings is shown, below the neck, playing the guitar), before fading out.
Most of Jennings' greatest hits and various artists compilations containing "Theme From The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)" feature the commercial version. The song used on the television series was included on Television's Greatest Hits, Vol. 6, a compilation of themes from the 1970s and 1980s.[1]
[edit] Chart success
"Theme From The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)" became Jennings' 12th No. 1 hit overall (10th as a solo recording act) in November 1980. It also became his biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 21.[2]. It also appeared in the British charts.
The song was certified gold for sales of 1 million units by the Recording Industry Association of America [2]
[edit] 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
[edit] References
- ^ Roland, Tom, "The Billboard of Number One Country Hits" (Billboard Watson-Guptill Publications, New York, 1991 (ISBN 0-82-307553-2)), p. 426-427
- ^ ibid.
[edit] See also
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Country Songs: 1944-2005," 2006.
- Whitburn, Joel, "Top Pop Singles: 1955-2006," 2007.
