About The Song
Few songs in country music are as revealing or self-aware as “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand” by Waylon Jennings. Released in 1978 on his I’ve Always Been Crazy album, this deeply personal track offers listeners a rare glimpse behind the curtain of the so-called “outlaw” lifestyle—a label that both defined Jennings’ career and haunted his personal life. More than just a song, this piece reads like a confessional, as Jennings reflects on the chaos that surrounded him during the height of his fame, when the lines between myth and man had begun to blur dangerously.
At the core of “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand” is a biting honesty. Waylon Jennings was no stranger to the wild tales that accompanied the outlaw country movement—tales of hard living, rebellion against Nashville’s slick production standards, and a refusal to conform to mainstream expectations. But while those stories made for good press and a loyal fanbase, they also masked the toll that lifestyle took. The song, written shortly after a high-profile drug arrest, captures that moment of clarity when the thrill of the image no longer shields the weight of its consequences.
Musically, the track pairs Jennings’ trademark baritone with a somber, reflective arrangement. It eschews the rollicking twang of his more upbeat hits in favor of something more subdued and introspective. The instrumentation—steady, restrained, almost mournful—mirrors the seriousness of the message, grounding his words in a sense of hard-earned wisdom. He’s not sermonizing or asking for sympathy; he’s simply stating the truth as he’s lived it.
Lyrically, Jennings walks a fine line between defiance and regret. He acknowledges the role he played in crafting the outlaw image—“I was just trying to fit in”—but also expresses disillusionment with how that image spiraled out of his control. The phrase “out of hand” becomes a haunting refrain, symbolizing not only the excesses of the lifestyle but the loss of personal agency. It’s a subtle but powerful meditation on fame, identity, and the price of living too close to the edge.
For older listeners especially, “Don’t You Think This Outlaw Bit’s Done Got Out of Hand” resonates as more than just a country song—it’s a reflection on aging, accountability, and the myths we create for ourselves. It’s the kind of song that lingers long after the last note, precisely because it feels so real, so unvarnished. In a genre known for storytelling, Waylon Jennings delivers one of his most compelling narratives: his own.
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Lyric
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I’m for the law and order the way that it should beThis song’s about the night they spent protecting you from meSomeone called us outlaws in some old magazineNew York sent a posse down like I ain’t never seenDon’t y’all think this outlaw bit’s done got out of hand?What started out to be a joke the law don’t understandWas it singing through my nose that got me busted by the man?Maybe this here outlaw bit’s done got out of hand, out of handWe were wrapped up in our music, that’s why we never sawThe cars pull up, the boys get out and the room fills up with lawThey came boundin’ through the backdoor in the middle of a songThey got me for possession of something that was gone, long goneDon’t y’all think this outlaw bit’s done got out of hand?What started out to be a joke the law don’t understandWas it singing through my nose that got me busted by the man? Oh LordOr, maybe this here outlaw bit’s done got out of handWell, don’t y’all think this outlaw bit’s done got out of hand, out of hand?