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.
As Time Goes By
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like fourth dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's theory
So we must get down to earth at times
And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed
You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by
Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny
Well, it's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by
Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by
The song "As Time Goes By" by Willie Nelson expresses the apprehension that comes with the advancements in science and technology. In this day and age, there is constant new invention, and people are getting weary with the continued progress. Despite all of this, the simple and fundamental things of life remain the same. These things cannot be removed or changed, and they are what make life worth living. A kiss is still a kiss, and people will still say "I love you." Love songs and moonlight will always remain relevant, and the world will always welcome lovers.
The song speaks about the classic fight for love and glory, which continues to be the same old story. The world will always embrace lovers, just as it did before. It is a reminder that amidst all the chaos and change of the world, love will remain constant. This song serves as a timeless classic that can make us feel connected to the past and the present. It is a call to appreciate the simple things in life, and to slow down and take a moment to relax amidst the hustle and bustle of the modern world.
Line by Line Meaning
This day and age we're living in
The present era is characterized by technology and innovation.
Gives cause for apprehension
This can create anxiety and uncertainty.
With speed and new invention
Advancements in technology and science.
And things like fourth dimension
Concepts beyond the physical world.
Yet we get a trifle weary
Even with all of these changes, we can become tired and overwhelmed.
With Mr. Einstein's theory
Even the most complex ideas, such as Einstein's theory of relativity, can add to our weariness.
So we must get down to earth at times
We need to take a break from the abstract and focus on the tangible.
Relax relieve the tension
This allows us to soothe our anxieties and worries.
And no matter what the progress
Regardless of the advancements we make,
Or what may yet be proved
And what may still be discovered,
The simple facts of life are such
The basic truths about life remain the same.
They cannot be removed
These universal truths are inescapable.
You must remember this
One must always keep in mind that,
A kiss is still a kiss
Love is still love
A sigh is just a sigh
The emotions of love remain the same, regardless of time.
The fundamental things apply
The most basic aspects of human nature remain immutable.
As time goes by
Despite the passage of time.
And when two lovers woo
When two people fall in love and court each other,
They still say, 'I love you'
The declaration of love remains unchanged.
On that you can rely
This is a truth that can be counted on.
No matter what the future brings
Regardless of what happens in the future.
Moonlight and love songs
Romance and passion remain.
Never out of date
These things are timeless.
Hearts full of passion
People continue to be filled with intense emotions.
Jealousy and hate
Even negative emotions remain constant.
Woman needs man
The basic human need for companionship.
And man must have his mate
People seek connection with others.
That no one can deny
This is a universal truth.
Well, it's still the same old story
Despite technological advancements and scientific discoveries,
A fight for love and glory
The struggle to find love and achieve greatness remains the same.
A case of do or die
It can be a high stakes situation.
The world will always welcome lovers
People will always embrace the concept of love.
As time goes by
Regardless of the passage of time.
Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers
This is a universal and timeless truth.
As time goes by
Despite the changes that occur over time.
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Sentric Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Herman Hupfeld
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind