“Life Was TOUGH” – Cody Jinks Was A “Mad Mother F’er” When He Wrote “Hippies And Cowboys”

The song that put him on the map did not emerge from a place of hopefulness.

Years before Cody Jinks released his famed Adobe Sessions record in 2015, he released his debut album, Less Wise, which features one of his fan-favorite songs, “Hippies And Cowboys.” The vulnerable song came from a time when Jinks was getting turned away by everyone for his sound, and he felt like he was in the pits of his career.

The lyrics detail a man who is living recklessly, disregarding his responsibilities, to run wild with the “Hippies And Cowboys” who accept him for who he is.

“Well, I started on the whiskey pretty early this morning
That’s alright, I was up all night
But I passed out before the sun came up
I really wanted to see one of those
I know that’s no way for a man to behave
With a mortgage due and a baby on the way
But somehow I made it to where I’m at
It’s been a living as a matter of fact…”

However, the lyrics do not depict a fictional protagonist. These are the genuine and raw emotions that Jinks experienced during his life at the time. On the Like A Farmer podcast, Jinks opened up that he was at one of the lowest points in his life when he penned that tune.

“My wife was pregnant with our first one. We were broke. I was p*ssed. Everybody was shutting their doors, you know. I was gaining a reputation at that point of being unmanageable, which I kept for a long time. I mean, you’ve got to be a pretty mad motherf***** to write a song like that. I sing it every night, and I’m happy to sing it. And I’m very happy now, but that was a tough time.

Life was tough. Life was TOUGH. We were six figures in debt, with one on the way, a career that was taking me more in debt. But I was just doubling down… my wife thankfully was going along with the ride…”

Jinks shared that even in this dark, dark time, he never had doubts about making it one day. While the bills might not have been paid then, he knew it would come back around eventually.

“I believed that what we were doing was build a grassroots effort, and we were going to be fine, eventually. I never had a plan B.”

And he didn’t need a plan B because when he got his first publishing check at the age of 37, his life turned around for the better.

“I got my first publishing check and went from being $150,000-$200,000 in debt to, after all the taxes and everything, I got a $2 million check. After all the taxes and bills were paid and everyone was paid, and I finally got what was left, Rebecca and I had $600,000 or $700,000 in the bank… At 37 years old, it was like, ‘Hey, we’re not poor anymore.’ And that was kind of weird.”

By the time that first check rolled in, Jinks said he had been touring for 11 years, and because he was 37, still chipping away at making this dream a reality, they didn’t have much time to “blow” their money. He and his wife bought new cars, and then he went back out on the road to continue touring nearly immediately.

“We were forced off the road when I was 40 because of COVID.”

After COVID, Jinks adjusted his touring schedule, reducing his time on the road to 9-10 months out of the year. Jinks is still the definition of a road dog, and he is living proof that if you stick to your guns, one day your dream will pan out for you.

While no one ever wants to be at that much of a low point in their life, it was all part of the course for Jinks because he’s made it big time. Check out the entire podcast episode while you’re here:

The post “Life Was TOUGH” – Cody Jinks Was A “Mad Mother F’er” When He Wrote “Hippies And Cowboys” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.