Waylon Jennings Performs Unrecognizable Cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me"

The country outlaw star looked drastically different in this 1967 TV studio performance of the deep cut track.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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Newly unearthed footage shows a clean-cut, suit-wearing Waylon Jennings performing a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me" in a 1967 television studio appearance. The song, which appeared on Jennings' 1966 album "Leavin' Town", features Jennings' signature vocal style despite his drastically different physical appearance compared to his later iconic outlaw country look.

Why it matters

This rare footage provides a glimpse into the early days of Waylon Jennings' career, before he fully embraced the outlaw country persona that would make him a legend. It also highlights how the original songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, later disowned the chauvinistic lyrics of the song, refusing to perform it again.

The details

In the video, Jennings is seen performing the song in a sharp, slim-cut gray suit, with his hair in a high pompadour - a far cry from the long-haired, leather-clad Jennings fans would come to know. However, his signature vocal style and guitar playing are unmistakable. The song, which appeared on Jennings' 1966 album "Leavin' Town", was originally written and recorded by Gordon Lightfoot earlier that year. Years later, Lightfoot expressed regret over the song's chauvinistic lyrics, saying he would never perform it again.

  • The footage was filmed in a television studio in late 1967.
  • Jennings' cover version of "(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me" appeared on his 1966 album "Leavin' Town".
  • Lightfoot's original recording of the song, titled "For Lovin' Me", was released in January 1966 on his debut album "Lightfoot!".

The players

Waylon Jennings

An American country music singer and songwriter who was a leading figure of the outlaw country movement in the 1970s.

Gordon Lightfoot

A Canadian singer-songwriter who wrote the original version of the song "(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me", later expressing regret over the song's chauvinistic lyrics.

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What they’re saying

“I learned a lot of things from the many women I met. One of the things was, don't write songs that are chauvinistic. And boy, I wrote a couple at the start, like 'That's What You Get For Loving Me'. Oh my goodness. I'll never write another song like that. That one taught me a lesson. It really did. Others still sing it. But I won't anymore.”

— Gordon Lightfoot (Broadview)

The takeaway

This rare footage of Waylon Jennings performing an early, unrecognizable cover of a Gordon Lightfoot deep cut provides a fascinating glimpse into the country legend's career before he fully embraced the outlaw persona that would make him famous. It also highlights how songwriters can evolve in their views, with Lightfoot later disowning the chauvinistic lyrics of the song he had written years earlier.