"Blackjack County Chain" is a song written by Red Lane. The song was initially rejected by Charley Pride, who considered at the time the lyrics controversial.

The song was ultimately recorded by Willie Nelson, whose version enjoyed success until it was banned by radio stations.

Russell Crowe performed a version of the song on the Irish television show the Late Late Show on 9/9/22.

Overview

"Blackjack County Chain" was written by country music artist Red Lane. The song depicts the killing of a Georgia sheriff by members of a chaingang, as recounted by one of them. Lane offered initially the song to Charley Pride. Anticipating a possible controversy he refrained from recording it.^[1]

Lane then offered the song to his friend Willie Nelson. Nelson had recently a hit single with "The Party's Over", that peaked at twenty-four in Billboard's Hot Country Singles. Nelson's version of "Blackjack County Chain" was released with a cover of Floyd Tillman's "Some Other World" on the flipside.^[2] The single debuted in May 1967. RCA Records published a full-page advertising promoting the single on Billboard.^[3] On its review, the publication praised the work of producer Chet Atkins, while it declared "(Nelson's) moving rendition [...] should be working its way up to the top".^[4]

The song met instant success, reaching number twenty-four on the country singles chart. At the time the song's popularity was growing, most of the radio stations banned it from airplay due to its content.^[2] Nelson re-recorded the song as a duet with Waylon Jennings for their 1983 collaboration Take it to the Limit.^[5]

Chart performance

Chart (1967)	Peak position
Billboard Hot Country Singles	21

Cover versions

Studio versions

Irish folk singer Christy Moore covered "Blackjack County Chain" on the album Smoke and Strong Whiskey released in 1991. Bluegrass music performer Del McCoury covered the song (as "Blackjack County Chains") on the 1996 Del McCoury Band album The Cold Hard Facts. Charley Crockett is an American blues, country and Americana singer, guitarist, and songwriter who also covered the song, releasing his version in 2020 on his studio album Welcome to Hard Times.

Footnotes

References

Alamo Promotions (1967). "Chain Breaking". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
Billboard staff (1967). "Country Spotlight". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
Patoski, Joe Nick (2008). Willie Nelson: An Epic Life. Hachette Digital. ISBN 978-0-316-01778-7.
Pride, Charlie; Henderson, Jim (1994). Pride: the Charley Pride story. W. Morrow. ISBN 978-0-688-12638-4.

v t e Willie Nelson singles
1950s	"No Place for Me" "Man With the Blues" / "The Storm Has Just Begun" "What a Way to Live"
1960s	"Nite Life" "The Part Where I Cry" / "Mr. Record Man" "Willingly" "Touch Me" "Wake Me When It's Over" "Half a Man" / "The Last Letter" "Am I Blue" "I Never Cared For You" "Pretty Paper" "San Antonio Rose" "I Love You Because" "The Party's Over" "Blackjack County Chain" "Johnny One Time" "Bring Me Sunshine"
1970s	"Fire and Rain" "Yesterday's Wine" "Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer)" "Bloody Mary Morning" "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" "If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time" "Georgia on My Mind" "Blue Skies" "All of Me" "Whiskey River" "September Song" "White Christmas"
1980s	"Help Me Make It Through the Night" "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys" "Midnight Rider" "On the Road Again" "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" "Mona Lisa" "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" "Always on My Mind" "Let It Be Me" "Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning" "Little Old Fashioned Karma" "Why Do I Have to Choose" "Take It to the Limit" "Without a Song" "City of New Orleans" "Forgiving You Was Easy" "Living in the Promiseland" "Heart of Gold" "Spanish Eyes" (with Julio Iglesias) "Twilight Time" "Nothing I Can Do About It Now" "There You Are" "Mr. Record Man"
1990s	"Ain't Necessarily So" "Graceland"
2000s	"Mendocino County Line" (with Lee Ann Womack) "Wurlitzer Prize" (with Norah Jones) "Beer for My Horses" (with Toby Keith) "The Harder They Come" "You Don't Know Me" "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other" "Gravedigger"
2010s	"Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die" "Just Breathe" "Grandma's Hands" (with Mavis Staples) "The Wall" "It's All Going to Pot" "Summer Wind" "Vote 'Em Out" "Forever Country"
Category:Willie Nelson