Special Sub-Topic: The Highwayman Click Here To Play: The Highwayman

Which artist was NOT part of the supergroup known as The Highwaymen?

Glen Campell. The Highwaymen included Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson. Although Glen Campbell might have fit in well with the other artists, he was not part of the Highwaymen.

In the song, "The Highwayman", each of the four describes a past (or future) life of the title character. Which occupation did the song NOT mention?

Railroad builder. Waylon Jennings tells us: "I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide Where steel and water did collide A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below. They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound. But I am still around. . ."

At the end of "The Highwayman", we hear several possibilities of what might happen next to the highwayman's spirit. Which is NOT one of them?

I will die in vain.. "And when I reach the other side I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can Perhaps I may become a highwayman again Or I may simply be a single drop of rain But I will remain And I'll be back again and again, and again, and again, and again..."

In "The Last Cowboy Song", how do the Highwaymen describe the end of the Cowboy era?

The end of a hundred year waltz. "This the last cowboy song, The end of a hundred year waltz. The voices sound sad as they're singin' along, Another piece of America's lost." Ed Bruce wrote "The Last Cowboy Song"

"The Last Cowboy Song" pays homage to several artists who have helped keep the Old West alive in various media. Who was NOT mentioned in the song?

John Wayne (film). "Remington showed us how he looked on canvas, And Louis L'Amour has told us his tale. Me and Johnny and Waylon and Kris sing about him, And wish to God we could have ridden his trail." In the Ed Bruce version of the song, the third line reads: "And Willie and Waylon and me sing about him"

Who wrote the lyrics to the song "Deportees (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)"?

Woody Guthrie. Woody Guthrie wrote this song about the crash of an airplane in Los Gatos Canyon in Fresno County California in 1948. Thirty-two people died in the crash, but the news accounts all focused on the four Americans - the flight crew and a security guard, while the twenty-eight migrant farm workers remained nameless and faceless "deportees". Woody Guthrie wrote this as a poem. Later, Martin Hoffman, a schoolteacher, added music to the poem to make it a song.

Who made a guest appearance on "Deportees (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" adding a Latin-American voice to the song?

Johnny Rodriguez. Johnny Rodriguez is generally recognized as the first Latin-American artist to become a country star. He provides both harmony and background for these lyrics: "Good-bye to my Juan, good-bye Rosalita Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria You won't have a name when you ride the big airplane And all they will call you will be deportees."

What Bob Seger song was included on this album?

Against the Wind. "Against the Wind" portrays the changes in a man's ambitions, faith in others, and perspective of the world as he grows older and gains life experience. In the context of this song collection, I think "Against the WInd" takes on a parallel meaning about a nation's coming of age and the loss of the wild spaces and freedoms known to past generations.

What country icon wrote "Desperados Waiting for a Train"?

Guy Clark. "Desperados Waiting for a Train" chronicles the special relationship between a young boy and and an old man with stories to tell. A poignant moment near the end is related with these words: "One day I looked up and he's pushin' eighty He's got brown tobacco stains all down his chin Well to me he was a hero of this country So why's he all dressed up like them old men?"

When was "The Highwayman" released?

1985. "The Highwayman" was released in May 1985. 1990 saw the release of "The Highwayman 2". In 1995, the group came together one more time and released a third CD, which features Robert Earl Keen's "The Road Goes on Forever" as its title song.