About the Song
In the midst of his 1974 album The Ramblin’ Man, Waylon Jennings included a track that doesn’t shout or posture, but instead whispers with commitment and longing: “It’ll Be Her.” Written by Billy Ray Reynolds, the song stands as one of the gentler, more intimate moments in Jennings’ catalog — a song not about explosions or rearview regrets, but about the simple but steadfast knowing that one person matters above all.
Musically, the arrangement is understated yet warm. The instrumentation gives Waylon room — soft guitar lines, modest accompaniment, and just enough space for emotion to settle between the notes. His baritone voice, already matured by experience, carries each line with a mixture of hope and realism. He doesn’t oversell devotion; he simply lets it live in his voice.
Lyrically, “It’ll Be Her” is a tender promise. It contemplates what would happen if anyone ever saw worth or love in the singer — that when someone does, he already knows who it will be. It’s a confession wrapped in future tense: not “if,” but “when.” The song isn’t about romantic illusions; it’s a grounded belief, delivered quietly, without bravado.
What makes this track particularly touching is the confidence behind the humility. Jennings doesn’t plead. He believes. That belief anchors the piece. The listener senses that this is not a desperate hope, but a hope grounded in integrity.
In the arc of Waylon Jennings’ career, “It’ll Be Her” reminds us that even an “outlaw” can hold space for tenderness without losing authenticity. It shows that strength often lives in quiet certainty, that loyalty doesn’t require loudness, and that love, when felt deep enough, needs no dramatic gestures — just a voice that conveys “I already know.”