In the "Beyond Nashville" episode of the 2003 documentary Lost Highway, Yoakam admits the elongated opening vocal was an approximation of Buck Owens trademark singing style on songs like "I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail." "Little Ways" is distinctly an homage to Buck, a signature combination of the drawn-out phrasing and hard-twang guitar that had distinguished so many of his hits.
In the "Beyond Nashville" episode of the 2003 documentary Lost Highway, Yoakam acknowledges that the extended vocal in the opening of "Little Ways" is a tribute to Buck Owens' style on songs like "I’ve Got a Tiger By the Tail." The song "Little Ways" embodies Buck Owens' signature hard-twang guitar and drawn-out phrasing.