It's TIME for a Country Countdown: A Long Time Ago (#8)

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I have no shame. John Roberts counted down his 15 favorite songs with "time" in the title. I thought that sounds like a good idea, so I'm counting down twenty songs: ten in rock and ten in country. While I swiped the idea, we don't match on any songs (thought we would on "Wasted Time," but -- shock -- it didn't make the final cut). At least John -- and everyone else -- has heard of today's country "time" keeper! #8: A Long Time Ago - Waylon Jennings Why not? Yesterday's song was written by Waylon's partner in crime! No, you probably don't know the song. This is an album cut. It's highly autobiographical, in both humorous ("Me and ol' Willie, we've been sold and bought, I guess you heard some kind of system that we fought, we ain't the only outlaws, just the only ones they caught"), and sad ("don't ask me who I gave me seat to on that plane," a reference to Jennings letting J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson have his seat on a plane that Buddy Holly chartered for his band members after a show in Iowa...Richardson had the flu, and Jennings felt sympathy for him...and we know how that ended ) ways. Waylon crossed over a lot in the 70s with his "outlaw" sound, which was basically just Waylon being Waylon and everyone else sick of disco and Manilow. He remains one of the few true "legends" of country music whose name is known by people who don't like country music. A Long Time Ago Written by Waylon Jennings and Shel Silverstein Recorded by Waylon Jennings From I've Always Been Crazy, 1978 Even then you won't really know: