Church Voices

I had heard the term “outlaw music” a couple of times. All I really knew about it was that Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson were usually associated it. I always kind of figured that Jennings’ drug habit had gotten so out of control that he’d been exiled from Nashville (ala Johnny Cash) but his fans were insistent that he get back into the business of recording music.

Turns out I was completely wrong.

Turns out outlaw music is more about the creative expression of artists than it is about any kind of informal blackballing. In the early 60s country musicians were heavily shackled by their record producers. Everything from what kind of music could be produced to the lyrics to what the musicians looked like on tour and in promotional appearances was controlled by record executives.

By the time the early 70s rolled around Waylon Jennings had fallen on hard times. His career was on life support, he had a drug habit, and his debts had piled up. Willie Nelson came to him and told him they’d re-negotiate his recording contracts for more favorable terms. While this was going on Jennings found out that rock stars had very few restrictions on their music. They wrote what they wanted how they wanted without a recording executive looking over their sheet music. This became the model for Jennings’ contracts (along with a bigger share of the cash). While all this was going on in 1972 his record company released “Ladies Love Outlaws” which became a huge hit, gave the country outlaw movement its name, and also its face.

See, Nashville (ie the establishment, or alternatively The Man) was opposed to anything that was genre crossing. It had to be pure country or nothing at all, and it had to be sung by clean cut suit wearing musicians. Ladies Love Outlaws was seen as defining Outlaw Music both in subject matter and in style. It had a dash of rock n roll, in addition to having edgier subject matter. Hilariously enough Jennings never wanted this released, RCA released it and in doing so helped to define and popularize outlaw music. So suck on that Nashville.

Anyway, to break it down for you real quick-like, Outlaw Music was defined by two things: unconventional boundary crossing and gritty subject matter. People were sick of the same old crap. They were sick of the same bland sounding music they had always heard and they were sick of that same old bland sounding music being used to blow sunshine up their skirts. And so when a fresh wind came blowing through it just took off.

When Waylon Jennings had the shackles removed his career took off. In 1973 he released “Orn’ry and Mean” and then followed it up with “Honky Tonk Heroes” and both were huge commercial and critical success. Jennings and Nelson are the two most recognizable faces of the Outlaw Movement but there were quite a few others like Kenny Rogers and Steve Earle that were known because of it. Just the fact that Outlaw Country is still being written and talked about today is an indication of not just the success it had, but also the way it influenced musical history.

Now here’s a question for you: Is there a new wind blowing through our churches and ministries that will blow away the same bland crap we’re used to, with the same safe topics, the way that outlaw music did to Nashville? I’d like to think so. Take, for example, XXX Church, which focuses on the generally taboo topic of porn. They’ve done things like go to porn conventions and set up a table to talk to porn producers, performers, and consumers, even giving out Bibles. Apparently they’ve been fairly successful as they’re continuing to expand their ministry, and have numerous success stories in terms of pulling performers out of the business and helping those within the church to fight this sin.

If the parallels between Outlaw country, and the church hold true the biggest question might be, how do we develop Outlaw churches? This might be a more important question than we imagine. Because I didn’t finish the story of Outlaw country. Nashville dug in its heels even after Jennings and Nelson started producing hits again using the Outlaw formula. As a result, though Nashville is still a force in country music it is no longer the only force. Many of the Outlaw country performers took off for Texas. One of the more famous venues for live performances, Billy Bob’s, is now there, instead of Nashville. The “New Outlaw Movement” that has recently started making noise is made up almost entirely of Texas musicians, and that style of music has started to be classified as “Texas Country”. In other words: Nashville ain’t the only game in town.

So here’s a question for you. If Outlaw churches and ministries don’t develop, where will people who desperately need the gospel go?