Jesse James (Clay Walker song)

Last updated
"Jesse James"
Clay Walker Jesse James.jpg
Single by Clay Walker
from the album She Won't Be Lonely Long
ReleasedSeptember 17, 2012 (2012-09-17)
Recorded2009
Genre Country
Length4:20
Label Curb/Sidewalk
Songwriter(s) Ben Glover, Kyle Jacobs, Joe Leathers
Producer(s) Keith Stegall
Clay Walker singles chronology
"Like We Never Said Goodbye"
(2011)
"Jesse James"
(2012)
"Right Now"
(2015)

"Jesse James" is a song recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It was released in September 2012 as the fourth single from his 2010 studio album, She Won't Be Lonely Long . The song was written by Ben Glover, Kyle Jacobs, and Joe Leathers. The song has also been performed by the group the Davisson Brothers Band and by Wyatt.

Contents

Background

"Jesse James" first appeared in February 2010 on the "She Won't Be Lonely Long" extended play. [1] In August 2011 Walker first mentioned the song as a new single even though it would be another year before it was released. [2]

Walker told Great American Country "It's like when Tim McGraw sang, ‘I may be a real bad boy, but baby, I'm a real good man.' I think most men are in that spot. It also reminds me of ‘Tombstone,' with Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell, which is one of my favorite movies. I ad-libbed some lines from it at the end of the song." [3]

In an interview with the "Laughlin Entertainer", Walker said, "What's unique about "Jesse James" is it's got a rockin' edge to it. I grew up singing rowdy music in bars. I may be at a rebirth or a re- imaging of my career. And what a way to start it out a song about an outlaw with a very rockin' edge. It's a new beginning for me. It's time for me to get over the boyish love song stuff and get into the rougher manly things." [4]

Content

The up-tempo song is about a man who despite being raised right sometimes just wants to be bad like the old-west outlaw Jesse James. The man has a constant fight between good and evil when choosing to be like Jesus or Jesse James.

Critical reception

In the album review for "She Won't Be Lonely Long", Bobby Peacock of Roughstock wrote, "For an artist who rarely cuts up-tempos Jesse James is a serious gamble that pays off. [5] Matt Bjorke also of Roughstock wrote, "It's a fun song that is contemporary yet feels like something that could've been released by Clay Walker when he was at the height of his radio stardom in the 1990s. It mixes in some high lonesome styles in the chorus that sounds great too." [6] Billy Dukes of "Taste of Country" gave the song a 3 star rating and wrote, the song is "an adventure that’s fun and unique." [7]

Music video

The music video began filming in August 2012 and was finished on August 22. [8] It was directed by Thadd Turner and co-directed by Walker. The video was filmed in Santa Fe New Mexico at the Bonanza Creek Ranch. It is an old west inspired video featuring Eat'n Park spokes model Sarah Marince as a saloon girl as well as Walker's wife Jessica playing a character named "Blue". [9] The video premiered on October 19. [10] [11]

Walker described the music video by saying "When we shot the video we used the movie set out of Santa Fe that they used for Cowboys & Aliens. We did it in cinematic we spent the money to get that western look. Jesse James robbed trains so we went to this old train station and we used this black train and we had saloon girls dancing all over the train with my band there playing. It was sexy. It got me fired up about doing a movie. I'm going to brush up on my acting skills, take some classes in L.A., get some coaching. I think it would be fun." [4]

Charts

Chart (2012)Peak
position
US Country Airplay ( Billboard ) [12] 48
US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) [13] 57

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tanya Tucker</span> American singer and songwriter

Tanya Denise Tucker is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood without losing her audience; she had a streak of top-10 and top-40 hits. She has had several successful albums, several Country Music Association award nominations, and hit songs including 1973's "What's Your Mama's Name?" and "Blood Red and Goin' Down", 1975's "Lizzie and the Rainman", 1988's "Strong Enough to Bend", and 1992's "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane". Tucker's 2019 album While I'm Livin' won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album, and "Bring My Flowers Now" from that same album won Tucker a shared songwriting Grammy for Best Country Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clay Walker</span> American country musician

Ernest Clayton Walker Jr. is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1993 with the single "What's It to You", which reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, as did its follow-up, 1994's "Live Until I Die". Both singles were included on his self-titled debut album, released in 1993 via Giant Records. He stayed with the label until its 2001 closure, later recording for Warner Bros. Records, RCA Records Nashville, and Curb Records.

Jesse James became a hero in folklore and dime novels before he was killed in 1882. A manifestation of this was the emergence of a wide body of music that celebrates or alludes to Jesse James.

Marcel Francois Chagnon, known professionally as Marcel, is an American country music singer, songwriter, and music video director. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he released his debut album You, Me, and the Windshield that year and charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts with the single "Country Rock Star". Five years later, he signed to Lyric Street Records and released the single "I Love This Song", which has also charted. In addition to his recording career, Marcel has directed several music videos, and has written charted singles for Josh Gracin, Trace Adkins, and Jessica Andrews, to whom he is married.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'Fore She Was Mama</span> 2006 single by Clay Walker

"'Fore She Was Mama" is a song written by Casey Beathard and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in October 2006 as the first single from his album Fall. It peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks in 2007. It was also his first chart entry since "Jesus Was a Country Boy" in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Sleep (song)</span> 2004 single by Clay Walker

"I Can't Sleep" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2004 as the second single from his album A Few Questions, it peaked at #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. Walker co-wrote the song with fellow country singer Chely Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Live Until I Die</span> 1993 single by Clay Walker

"Live Until I Die" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in October 1993 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dreaming with My Eyes Open</span> 1994 single by Clay Walker

"Dreaming With My Eyes Open" is a song written by Tony Arata and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released on May 27, 1994 as the fourth and final single from his self-titled debut album, and was featured in the soundtrack to the film The Thing Called Love. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Jesse Lee is an American country music singer and songwriter. Signed to Atlantic Nashville in 2007, she released her debut single "It's a Girl Thing" in 2009, which debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated for June 6, 2009. A second single, "Like My Mother Does," was released in 2010, which failed to chart. Jesse and Atlantic Records parted ways after three and a half years together. She is signed as a songwriter with Disney Music Group. In addition to her solo career, Lee co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini's "Peter Pan".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Thompson (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter

Josh Thompson is an American country music artist. He has released two studio albums: Way Out Here for Columbia Records Nashville, and Turn It Up for Show Dog-Universal Music, and has charted six singles on Hot Country Songs and/or Country Airplay, the highest-peaking being "Way Out Here" at No. 15. Thompson has also written songs for Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, Justin Moore, Brad Paisley, Brett Young, Morgan Wallen and Darius Rucker.

<i>I Got Your Country Right Here</i> 2010 studio album by Gretchen Wilson

I Got Your Country Right Here is the fourth studio album by American country music artist Gretchen Wilson, released on March 30, 2010 via Redneck Records, her own label. The album's first single, "Work Hard, Play Harder", was released in October 2009, and became Wilson's first Top 20 hit since 2005's "All Jacked Up." The album's title track was released as the second single in August 2010, and "I'd Love to Be Your Last" was released in January 2011 as the third single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Won't Be Lonely Long (song)</span> 2009 single by Clay Walker

"She Won't Be Lonely Long" is a song written by Galen Griffin, Doug Johnson and Phil O'Donnell, and recorded by American country music artist Clay Walker. It was released in December 2009 as the first single and title track from his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is his most successful charting single since "The Chain of Love" in 2000.

<i>She Wont Be Lonely Long</i> 2010 studio album by Clay Walker

She Won't Be Lonely Long is the ninth studio album by American country music artist Clay Walker, and was released on June 8, 2010, via Curb Records. It is Walker's first studio album since 2007's Fall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Where Do I Go from You</span> 2010 single by Clay Walker

"Where Do I Go from You" is a song written by Don Cook, Clint Daniels and Ryan Tyndell and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in August 2010 as the second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It peaked at #26 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts, becoming his 28th top 40 hit on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Like We Never Said Goodbye</span> 2012 single by Clay Walker

"Like We Never Said Goodbye" is a song written by Cory Batten and Tiffany Goss and recorded by American country music singer Clay Walker. It was released in January 2012 as the third second single to his album She Won't Be Lonely Long. It is also the 32nd single of Walker's career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskey (Jana Kramer song)</span> 2012 single by Jana Kramer

"Whiskey" is a song recorded by American actress and country music artist Jana Kramer. The song was initially released April 26, 2011 as a promotional single and was later released to country radio through Elektra Records Nashville on November 5, 2012 as the second single from her self-titled debut album. It was written by Catt Gravitt and Sam Mizell. "Whiskey" garnered positive reviews from critics praising the instrumentation and lyrical work for allowing a poignant performance from Kramer.

"Won't Be Lonely Long" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music singer Josh Thompson. It was released in November 2010 as the third single from his album Way Out Here. Thompson wrote the song with George Ducas and Arliss Albritton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She Cranks My Tractor</span> 2012 single by Dustin Lynch

"She Cranks My Tractor" is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Dustin Lynch. It was released in November 2012 as the second single from his self-titled debut album. Lynch co-wrote the song with Brett Beavers and Tim Nichols. It garnered mixed reviews from critics divided over the production and lyrical content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slow Me Down (song)</span> 2013 single by Sara Evans

"Slow Me Down" is a song written by Marv Green, Heather Morgan and Jimmy Robbins and recorded by American country music artist Sara Evans. It was released on September 3, 2013, as a digital download and to country radio on September 23, 2013, as the first single and title track from Evans’ 2014 album of the same name. Evans debuted the new single during her annual fanclub party in June 2013, and premiered the studio cut of the song exclusively through her official website following a campaign to unlock the audio stream.

<i>Spring Break 6...Like We Aint Ever</i> 2014 EP by Luke Bryan


Spring Break 6…Like We Ain't Ever is the sixth extended play (EP) by American country music artist Luke Bryan. It was released on March 11, 2014 by Capitol Nashville as a followup to Bryan's first four Spring Break EPs and the 2013 compilation album Spring Break...Here to Party.

References

  1. "She Won't Be Lonely Long (EP)". Amazon.
  2. "Clay Walker - Interview EXCLUSIVE". YouTube .
  3. "Clay Walker Biography". Archived from the original on 2012-09-06.
  4. 1 2 "Clay Walker at the Riverside Resort". Archived from the original on December 3, 2021.
  5. "Clay Walker - She Won't Be Lonely Long". Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
  6. "The Weekly Single Recap: September 7, 2012". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012.
  7. "Clay Walker, 'Jesse James' – Song Review". 27 September 2012.
  8. "Jesse James video is DONE!!!". Facebook .
  9. "Big Ben phone home".
  10. "Clay Walker: Jesse James (2012)". IMDb .
  11. "Clay Walker: Jesse James!".
  12. "Clay Walker Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard.
  13. "Clay Walker Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.