Born during the Great Depression and raised by his grandparents, Nelson wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at ten. During high school, he toured locally with the Bohemian Polka as their lead singer and guitar player. After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the U.S. Air Force but was later discharged due to back problems. After his return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music. During this time, he worked as a disc jockey in Texas radio stations and a singer in honky-tonks. Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he wrote "Family Bible" and recorded the song "Lumberjack" in 1956. He also worked as a disc jockey at various radio stations in Vancouver and nearby Portland, Oregon. In 1958, he moved to Houston, Texas, after signing a contract with D Records. He sang at the Esquire Ballroom weekly and he worked as a disk jockey. During that time, he wrote songs that would become country standards, including "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Hello Walls", "Pretty Paper", and "Crazy". In 1960 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and later signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. In 1962, he recorded his first album, ...And Then I Wrote. Due to this success, Nelson signed in 1964 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry the following year. After mid-chart hits in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, Nelson retired in 1972 and moved to Austin, Texas. The ongoing music scene of Austin motivated Nelson to return from retirement, performing frequently at the Armadillo World Headquarters.
In 1973, after signing with Atlantic Records, Nelson turned to outlaw country, including albums such as Shotgun Willie and Phases and Stages. In 1975, he switched to Columbia Records, where he recorded the critically acclaimed album Red Headed Stranger. The same year, he recorded another outlaw country album, Wanted! The Outlaws, along with Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, and Tompall Glaser. During the mid-1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like "On the Road Again", "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", and "Pancho and Lefty", he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson.
In 1990, Nelson's assets were seized by the Internal Revenue Service, which claimed that he owed $32 million. The difficulty of paying his outstanding debt was aggravated by weak investments he had made during the 1980s. In 1992, Nelson released The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?; the profits of the double album—destined to the IRS—and the auction of Nelson's assets cleared his debt. During the 1990s and 2000s, Nelson continued touring extensively, and released albums every year. Reviews ranged from positive to mixed. He explored genres such as reggae, blues, jazz, and folk.
Nelson made his first movie appearance in the 1979 film The Electric Horseman, followed by other appearances in movies and on television. Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which is in favor of marijuana legalization. On the environmental front, Nelson owns the bio-diesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oil. Nelson is also the honorary chairman of the advisory board of the Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the state of Texas.
Nelson uses a variety of music styles to create his own distinctive blend of country music, a hybrid of jazz, pop, blues, rock and folk. His "unique sound", which uses a "relaxed, behind-the-beat singing style and gut-string guitar" and his "nasal voice and jazzy, off-center phrasing", has been responsible for his wide appeal, and has made him a "vital icon in country music", influencing the "new country, new traditionalist, and alternative country movements of the 1980s and 1990s".
In 1969, the Baldwin company gave Nelson an amplifier and guitar with their "Prismatone" pickup. During a show in Helotes, Texas, Nelson left the guitar on the floor of the stage, and it was later stepped on by a drunk man. He sent it to be repaired in Nashville by Shot Jackson, who told Nelson that the damage was too great. Jackson offered him a Martin N-20 Classical guitar, and, at Nelson's request, moved the pickup to the Martin. Nelson purchased the guitar unseen for $750 and named it after Roy Rogers' horse "Trigger". The next year Nelson rescued the guitar from his burning ranch.
Constant strumming with a guitar pick over the decades has worn a large sweeping hole into the guitar's body near the sound hole—the N-20 has no pick-guard since classical guitars are meant to be played fingerstyle instead of with picks. Its soundboard has been signed by over a hundred of Nelson's friends and associates, ranging from fellow musicians to lawyers and football coaches. The first signature on the guitar was Leon Russell's, who asked Nelson initially to sign his guitar. When Nelson was about to sign it with a marker, Russell requested him to scratch it instead, explaining that the guitar would be more valuable in the future. Interested in the concept, Nelson requested Russell to also sign his guitar. In 1991, during his process with the IRS, Nelson was worried that Trigger could be auctioned off, stating: "When Trigger goes, I'll quit". He asked his daughter, Lana, to take the guitar from the studio before any IRS agent arrived there, and then deliver it to him in Maui. Nelson then concealed the guitar in his manager's house until his debt was paid off in 1993.
Nelson is widely recognized as an American icon. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993, and he received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1998. In 2011, Nelson was inducted to the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, for his labor in Farm Aid and other fund raisers to benefit farmers. In 2015 Nelson won the Gershwin Prize, the lifetime award of the Library of Congress. In 2018 The Texas Institute of Letters inducted him among its members for his songwriting. He was included by Rolling Stone on its 100 Greatest Singers and 100 Greatest Guitarists lists.
A Song for You
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've sung a lot of songs and I've made some bad rhymes
I acted out my life in stages
With ten thousand people watching
Now we're alone and I am singing my song for you
And I know your image of me is what I hope to be
I've treated you unkindly but darling can't you see
So darling can't you please see through me
'Cause we're alone now and I'm singin' my song for you
Well you taught me precious secrets of a truth, withholdin' nothin'
You came out in front but I was hiding
And now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Just listen to the melody for my love's in there hiding
And I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I love you for my life, you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singin' my song for you
Well you taught me precious secrets of a truth, withholdin' nothin'
You came out in front but I was hiding
And now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Listen to the melody for my love is in there hiding
And I love you in a place where there's no space or time
I've loved you for my life, you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singin' my song for you
We were alone and I was singin' my song for you
Willie Nelson's "A Song for You" is a poignant and heartfelt ballad about the power of music and love. The opening line of the song, "Well I've been a lot places in my life and time," sets the tone for a reflective piece that takes the listener on a journey through the singer's past experiences. The song speaks to the loneliness that can come with a life in the spotlight, and the comfort that can be found in the cherished relationships that bring joy and meaning to life.
Throughout the song, Nelson reflects on his relationship with someone who has been there for him through it all, even during the difficult times when he has acted out or treated them unfairly. He acknowledges that his image may not always reflect the person he truly is, but he assures his loved one that they are the most important person in his life and that he is singing his heart out for them. He also looks back on the lessons this person has taught him, and how their love has helped him become a better person.
The final lines of the song are particularly moving, as Nelson speaks of a love that transcends time and space. He sings, "And I love you in a place where there's no space or time / I love you for my life, you are a friend of mine / And when my life is over, remember when we were together / We were alone and I was singin' my song for you." These words serve as a powerful reminder of the enduring power of love and music, and the ways in which they can bring us together even when we are apart.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I've been a lot places in my life and time
I've been around a lot and experienced many things
I've sung a lot of songs and I've made some bad rhymes
I've written and performed many songs, even if some weren't good
I acted out my life in stages
My life has been like a performance on a stage
With ten thousand people watching
Many people have watched and scrutinized my every move
Now we're alone and I am singing my song for you
I am now singing for you, with no one else around
And I know your image of me is what I hope to be
I want to be the person you see me as
I've treated you unkindly but darling can't you see
I haven't always treated you well, but I hope you understand
There's no one more important to me
You are the most important person in my life
So darling can't you please see through me
I hope you can see past my flaws and understand who I really am
'Cause we're alone now and I'm singin' my song for you
Now that we're alone together, I can express my true feelings for you
Well you taught me precious secrets of a truth, withholdin' nothin'
You have shared important truths with me, holding nothing back
You came out in front but I was hiding
You were more open while I was more guarded
And now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
I've improved because of you, and if I don't express myself well
Just listen to the melody for my love's in there hiding
Just listen to the music and feel the love I have for you
And I love you in a place where there's no space or time
My love for you transcends space and time
I love you for my life, you are a friend of mine
I love you for everything you bring to my life and see you as a friend
And when my life is over, remember when we were together
When I pass away, remember the time we spent together
We were alone and I was singin' my song for you
We shared a special moment together when I sang this song for you
We were alone and I was singin' my song for you
Again, we shared a moment when I sang this song just for you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leon Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bloodandwinearered
Way back in 1978, I went to the old Montreal Forum for Willie's concert. After it was all over, all finished and all done, we would not stop clapping. Finally... Willie came back on stage. Just him and his guitar. Nothing else. We were 10,000 people in the Forum. He was one man with one guitar. He performed this song. I shall never forget how one man and one guitar could completely mesmerize 10,000 people. We hardly breathed. What a concert.
@jimmerritt6669
bloodandwinearered j
@larrysintay4456
The good days
@bkhorn21
Awesome
@aquavenus9915
a beautiful memory of a beautiful song, and Willie himself is such a beautiful person too
@GMAW56
I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter at the tender age of 17 when this album came out 40 years ago. Remains one of my very faves. We've always been crazy but Willie has kept us from going insane. ;-) Today is his 80th BD but I had the On The Road Again CD (with Leon) in my player for a couple of weeks now. Happy Birthday Willie!
@keithkerr7814
Leon!
@vanillacreamdawson958
honestly this is the most beautiful song ever recorded
@lisaadams7809
I completely agree.
@calebwright6345
nah