“THIS WAS THE HIT THAT PUSHED WAYLON OUT OF HIS ‘SAFE ZONE’—AND STRAIGHT INTO THE OUTLAW WORLD.” People still talk about the way Waylon sounded that day in 1970 when he walked into RCA Studio B with “The Taker” in his hand…
“THIS WAS THE HIT THAT PUSHED WAYLON OUT OF HIS ‘SAFE ZONE’—AND STRAIGHT INTO THE OUTLAW WORLD.” People still talk about the way Waylon sounded that day in 1970 when he walked into RCA Studio B with “The Taker” in his hand…
“The Taker” stands as one of Waylon Jennings’ early singles that helped shape what later became known as the outlaw-country sound. Written by Kris Kristofferson in collaboration with author and songwriter Shel Silverstein, the track offered Jennings a narrative that felt sharper, darker, and more cynical than much of Nashville’s output at the dawn of the 1970s. Through his interpretation, Waylon transformed their terse character study into something moody and unsettling—a performance that clearly hinted at his growing frustration with playing by traditional studio rules.
