Good Hearted Woman (song)


"Good Hearted Woman" is a song written by American country music singers Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

Writing

In 1969, while staying at the Fort Worther Motel in Fort Worth, Texas, Waylon Jennings was inspired to start writing the song when he saw an advertisement on a newspaper promoting Tina Turner as a "good hearted woman loving two-timing men", a reference to Ike Turner. Jennings went to talk to Nelson, who was in a middle of a poker game. He joined the game, and told Nelson about his idea. While they kept playing, they expanded the lyrics as Nelson's wife Connie Koepke was writing them down.

Recording

Jennings recorded the song for the first time as the title track of his 1972 album Good Hearted Woman, the single peaked at number three on the Billboard's Hot Country Singles. In 1975, Jennings remixed the song, adding vocals from Willie Nelson for the album . The album cemented the pair's outlaw image and became country music's first platinum album. The song peaked at number one on Billboard's Hot Country Singles and at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song won the Single of the Year award in the 1976 Country Music Association Awards, and took Jennings and Nelson to the mainstream audiences, giving them nationwide recognition.

Cover versions

Waylon Jennings

Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson