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Genius Annotation

Have you ever written a song so great that the four greatest Outlaw Country singers of all time named their supergroup after it? No? Well, that’s because you’re not Jimmy Webb.

According to Webb, he got the influence to write the lyrics after dreaming himself as a Highwayman on the run from the law, and formed the music for the song shortly after coming up with the concept.

I had an old brace of pistols in my belt and I was riding, hell-bent for leather, down these country roads, with sweat pouring off of my body. I was terrified because I was being pursued by police, who were on the verge of shooting me. It was very real. I sat up in bed, sweating through my pajamas. Without even thinking about it, I stumbled out of bed to the piano and started playing “Highwayman”. Within a couple of hours, I had the first verse.

This song’s lyrics heavily imply the theme of reincarnation. Each time one of these country legends say they were killed, the line after is about them living on. Additionally, at the end of Johnny’s verse, he states that he may become a highwayman again when he dies.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Hello, what is the meaning of "when the yards broke off"? Nothing found at dict.
Genius Answer

A Yard is part of the anatomy of a sail boat. It’s part of what the sails are attached to. So the implication in the line is that he was in turbulent water at sea, and it was so violent the yard arm broke off.

Credits
Producer
Recorded At
Woodland Sound Studio, Nashville
Released on
May 6, 1985
Songs That Interpolate Highwayman
Highwayman Is A Cover Of
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