Watch Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings Perform “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys” at Farm Aid in 1986

When it comes to country music duos, few can compare to the power of the pairing of Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. The two old friends and Outlaw Country originators recorded and performed together several times over the years. They even cut four albums together. While they released many hits, none were as enduring as the 1977 chart-topper “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”

Co-written by the then-husband and wife duo Ed and Patsy Bruce, Nelson and Jennings weren’t the first to record the song. However, they were the first to record it as a duet. Bruce had a minor hit with the track when he released it as the lead single from his 1976 self-titled album. Chris LeDoux also included the song on his 1976 album Songbook of the American West. Two years later, Jennings and Nelson released their version of the song as the second single from Waylon & Willie. The video below shows them performing it nearly a decade later at the second annual Farm Aid in 1986.

[RELATED: The Story Behind “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” by Waylon Jennings with Willie Nelson and How It Became a Legendary Duet]

Farm Aid II took place at the Manor Downs Racetrack in Manor, Texas on July 4, 1986. The lineup that day included Jennings, Nelson, George Jones, Steve Earle, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Grateful Dead, Emmylou Harris, Tom Petty, and many more.

[RELATED: Watch Willie Nelson Perform “Whiskey River” on the Pilot Episode of ‘Austin City Limits’ in 1974]

Waylon Jennings Got Willie Nelson to Improve a Song He Wasn’t Sure About

According to Songfacts, Ed Bruce considered pitching the song to Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson separately. However, he eventually decided to record it himself. After he had a No. 15 hit with it, he took it to Jennings. Surprisingly, he found that Jennings had already recorded the song for an album.

[RELATED: 3 Waylon Jennings Deep Cuts Every Country Fan Needs to Hear]

However, Jennings didn’t care for his solo recording of the track. “Me and Willie were talking about recording again, and I said, ‘Willie, I cut this thing, but I ain’t sure about it,’” he recalled. “I said, ‘It don’t sound right, but it might be a great duet.’ The whole record was finished and I just took part of my voice [out] and put his on,” he added.

Featured Image by Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images