The Highwomen Release Gut-Wrenching Female Version of “Highwayman”

Photo: The Highwomen/Facebook

If you’ve never heard of the Highwomen, you may have heard of one or more of its four members. The all-female country group is made up of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires — all solo singers in their own right.

The quartet set out to increase the representation of women in country music, a genre mostly dominated by men in cowboy hats singing about pickup trucks and beer.

After releasing their hit debut single “Redesigning Women” and their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” for The Kitchen movie soundtrack, the ladies have now put out their own version of “Highwayman.”

The original song, which was written by Jimmy Webb, was recorded by several artists over the years but was made famous by the supergroup the Highwaymen, which featured Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson.

After being inspired by the track to form their own all-female supergroup, Carlile and Shires wrote their own lyrics to the song, which tells the story of various women throughout history, and aptly titled it “Highwomen.” The Highwomen’s version also features vocals by British country soul singer Yola Carter, who was entrusted with one of the verses, and backing vocals by Sheryl Crow.

Give it a listen. We dare you not to weep!

The Highwomen’s self-titled debut album comes out September 6th.