July 18, 2025 —– Chart #307
Hello Music Friends,
This week’s tune is a laid-back, two-steppin’ reminder that sometimes life moves too fast, and the best answer is to slow your roll, sip something brown, and start livin’ on Tulsa Time.
Written by Danny Flowers, who was playing guitar with Don Williams at the time, the song was apparently born out of an actual travel disaster. The band had been snowed in at a hotel in Tulsa, stranded like cowboys without cattle. Flowers, stuck with nothing to do but pick and pout, scratched out a little ditty on hotel stationery and, as the legend goes, played it for the band later that night. Don Williams heard it and said, in his trademark calm-baritone-that-could-soothe-a-hummingbird, “I think I’ll cut that.”
And just like that, “Tulsa Time” was born—straight from the Oklahoma snow to the top of the country charts.
Don Williams, known to many of us as the Gentle Giant, never had to shout to be heard. He had a voice like warm honey poured over gravel and a delivery so laid-back it made Willie Nelson look caffeinated. The man could sing a grocery list and still break your heart on aisle five.
Released in 1978 on the album Expressions, “Tulsa Time” hit number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. But it didn’t stop there. This little tune started picking up steam outside the country world like a dog that wandered off and came back with a better haircut.
Enter Eric Clapton, of all people, who heard the song and said, “Yeah, I’ll have some of that.” He started performing it live with his band and even released a live version in 1980 that hit the Top 40. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Slowhand turn a country shuffle into a bluesy, finger-snapping romp. It’s like Tulsa met London, had a few too many, and woke up with a slide guitar hangover.
Reba McEntire, Jason Boland, and even Billy Ray Cyrus have taken their swing at it, proving that this song has more lives than a stray cat in a barn full of banjos. But no matter who plays it, that easy groove and back-to-Tulsa spirit shine through. It’s about rejecting the rat race and finding peace in simplicity—even if that peace comes with a side of red dirt and barbecue sauce.
From a guitar player’s standpoint, this one’s a keeper. It’s a good ol’ country jam in E, with a groove that settles in like an old dog on a porch swing. It’s the kind of song that feels just right with a cold beer in your hand and your boots somewhere they probably shouldn’t be.
So this week, do yourself a favor—turn off your notifications, put away your calendar, and live a little on Tulsa Time. Because whether you’re in L.A., New York, or Amarillo, there’s always a back road leading to a better pace.
Here’s some rockin’ cats that smoke this tune:
Keep Rockin’,
Stan Bradshaw