Waylon Jennings – Sunday Morning Coming Down

About the song

Few songs capture the stark reality of loneliness, regret, and the weight of past choices quite like “Sunday Morning Coming Down.” Originally written by Kris Kristofferson, the song has been recorded by multiple artists, with one of the most compelling versions delivered by Waylon Jennings. His gritty, world-weary voice brings a unique perspective to this classic, emphasizing the rugged individualism and emotional depth that defined the Outlaw Country movement.

Background and Release

The song itself was penned by Kris Kristofferson in the late 1960s, based on his own experiences of hard living and the struggles of a drifting musician. First recorded by Ray Stevens in 1969, it gained widespread recognition when Johnny Cash performed it on his TV show in 1970, leading to a hit version on the country charts.

Waylon Jennings’ rendition of “Sunday Morning Coming Down” appeared on his 1979 album “What Goes Around Comes Around.” By this time, Jennings was at the peak of his career, having redefined country music alongside Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard in the Outlaw Country movement. His version of the song is less polished than Cash’s and more emotionally raw, with a bluesy, road-worn edge that perfectly suits the song’s melancholic themes.

Meaning and Themes

At its heart, “Sunday Morning Coming Down” is a song about isolation, regret, and the aching emptiness that follows a life of indulgence. The lyrics describe a man waking up on a lonely Sunday morning, hungover, aimless, and painfully aware of what he’s lost.

“Well, I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn’t hurt…”

From the cold reality of walking down empty streets to the wistful longing for human connection—expressed through images of a father playing with his child or the simple smell of frying chicken—the song paints a vivid picture of loneliness and longing.

One of the most powerful moments comes in the chorus:

*”On a Sunday morning sidewalk, wishing, Lord, that I was stoned,
‘Cause there’s something in a Sunday that makes a body feel alone…”

Video

Lyrics

Well I woke up Sunday morning
With no way to hold my head
That didn’t hurt
And the beer I had for breakfast wasn’t
Bad so I had one more for dessert

Then I fumbled through my closet
For my clothes
And found my cleanest dirty shirt
And I shaved my face
And combed my hair
And stumbled down the stairs
To meet the day

I’d smoked my brain the night before
With cigarettes and songs
That I’ve been pickin’
But I lit my first and watched a small kid
Cussin’ at a can that he was kickin

Then I crossed the empty street and
Caught the sunday smell
Of someone fryin chicken
And it took me back to something
That I’d lost somehow
Somewhere along the way

On the sunday morning sidewalk
Wishing lord that I was stoned
Cause there’s something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there’s nothing short of dying
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleeping city sidewalk
Sunday morning coming down

In the park I saw a daddy
With a laughing little girl
He was swingin
And I stopped beside the Sunday school
And listened to the song
That they were singing

Then I headed back for home
And somewhere far away
A lonely bell was ringing
And it echoed thru the canyon like
The disappearing dreams of yesterday

On the sunday morning sidewalk
Wishing lord that I was stoned
Cause therels something in a sunday
That makes a body feel alone
And there’s nothing short of dying
Half as lonesome as the sound
On the sleeping city sidewalk
Sunday morning coming down