Who sang dukes of hazzard theme song

Who sang dukes of hazzard theme song

Songfacts®:

  • Jennings was the narrator in the 1975 movie Moonrunners, where he was credited as "The Balladeer." When CBS created a TV show based on the movie, they asked Jennings to reprise his role as narrator (again credited as "The Balladeer") and write the theme song. He came up with an outlaw-Country theme that fit the story of Bo and Luke Duke, who were good-hearted rebels from the fictional Hazzard county in The Dukes of Hazzard. Jennings appeared in all 121 episodes of the show until it ended in 1985.

  • The single version of this song was a bit different from the one used in the TV show, leaving out the line "Fightin' the system like two modern day Robin Hoods" and adding "You know my momma loved me, but she don't understand they keep showing my hands and not my face on TV," which is a reference to a shot in the show's open that shows Jennings playing guitar from the neck down. >>

    Suggestion credit:
    Julian - Oakland, AR, for above 2

The Theme For The Dukes

On January 26, 1979, The Dukes of Hazzard aired for the first time on CBS. The series, featuring cousins Bo, Luke, and Daisy Duke, ran until February 8, 1985, and was one of the most popular shows of its time.

In the show, Bo and Luke race around Hazzard County in their Dodge Charger, named The General Lee. They go on many adventures throughout the series, and often find themselves in sticky situations involving the crooked county commissioner Boss Hogg and Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane.

Just as iconic as the show itself is its opening theme song, titled “Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys),” which was written and recorded by country singer, Waylon Jennings.

How Waylon Got Involved

In 1975, Jennings served as the narrator for the film Moonrunners, which The Dukes of Hazzard was later based on, since both had the same creator.

When it was time to work on The Dukes of Hazzard, Jennings was selected once again to serve as a narrator for the show. In addition, he also wrote the show’s theme, recording two versions.

One of the versions was used as the theme for the show, while the other was made available for commercial use.

There are a few differences between the two versions of the song. For example, the show theme includes a banjo, while the commercial version of the song does not. Also, the lyrics to the show theme’s third verse are different, saying “Fightin’ the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods.”

More Differences Between The Versions

In the commercial version of the song, Jennings makes a reference to himself and his appearance in the show, singing, “I’m a good ol’ boy. You know my momma loves me. But she don’t understand, they keep a showin’ my hands and not my face on TV.”

This is in reference to Jennings’ appearance in the opening shot of the show theme version, where he can only be seen below the neck. 

Jennings went on to release the commercial version of the song as a single off of his 1980 album, Music Man. Because The Dukes of Hazzard was still running at that time, people recognized the song, and it quickly shot up to the top of the charts.

Today, the theme song to The Dukes of Hazzard is just as memorable as the show itself. You can listen to both Jennings’ commercial version of the song below. Which version of the song do you like best?

If you’re a fan of this comedy-adventure television series that was aired on CBS from 1979 to 1985, then pretty sure you’ll quickly recognize Dukes of Hazzard theme song or Waylon Jennings’ “Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys).”

The series featured cousins Bo and Luke, who rode their Dodge Charger called The General Lee, racing all over Hazzard County. They had plenty of exciting experiences and shenanigans all through the show. They find themselves in sticky situations every so often – especially with the twisted county commissioner Boss Hogg and Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane. But, of course, who would ever forget the gorgeous Daisy Duke? It was indeed among the most-watched television series of its time.

And just as legendary as the action-comedy television series itself is its opening theme song written and recorded by Waylon Jennings – who was also credited as “The Balladeer” and served the show’s narrator.

Jennings actually recorded two versions! The first version was adopted as the show’s theme song, while a slightly different version was made available for commercial use.

The one used in the show featured Larry McNeely’s banjo work, while the commercially available version did not. In addition to that, the third verse in the television version contained the lyric, “Fightin’ the system like two modern-day Robin Hoods,” and followed by the iconic “Yee-haw!” exclaimed by Bo and Luke.

Meanwhile, the commercially available version received radio airplay. It was released in 1980 as the second single from Jennings’ album Music Man, and it turned out to be one of Waylon Jennings songs that reached No. 1 on the American Country chart. It also peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Today, the Dukes of Hazzard theme song is still as exciting and unforgettable as the show itself. You can listen to it in the video below.

Who sang the original theme song for The Dukes of Hazzard?

The "Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Waylon Jennings. It was released in August 1980 as the second single from the album Music Man.

Who did voice over for Dukes of Hazzard?

The Dukes of Hazzard
Starring
Tom Wopat John Schneider Catherine Bach Denver Pyle Rick Hurst Sonny Shroyer Ben Jones James Best Sorrell Booke Waylon Jennings Byron Cherry Christopher Mayer
Narrated by
Waylon Jennings
Opening theme
"Good Ol' Boys" performed by Waylon Jennings
Country of origin
United States
The Dukes of Hazzard - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org › wiki › The_Dukes_of_Hazzardnull

Who wrote Good Old Boys song?

Waylon JenningsTheme from "The Dukes of Hazzard" (Good Ol' Boys) / Composernull

Is Waylon Jennings still alive?

February 13, 2002Waylon Jennings / Date of deathnull