Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, actor, an… Read Full Bio ↴Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American musician, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger (1975) and Stardust (1978), made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. He was one of the main figures of outlaw country, a subgenre of country music that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. Nelson has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana.
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.
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.
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the twilight glow I see her
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
And when we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew that we'd never meet again
Love is like a dyin' ember
And only memories remain
and through the ages I'll remember
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no partin'
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
And when we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew that we'd never meet again
Love is like a dyin' ember
And only memories remain
and through the ages I'll remember
Some day when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no partin'
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Willie Nelson's song Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain is a heart-wrenching ballad that evokes a sense of loss and sorrow. In the opening lines, the singer paints a picture of a moment of sadness and regret as he watches his lover's blue eyes filled with tears in the rain. With each verse, his reminiscences become deeper and more poetic as the theme of love is explored.
As the song progresses, the singer realizes that love, like an ember, eventually dies out, leaving behind only memories. He reflects on the fact that he will always treasure the memory of his lost love and her blue eyes in the rain. Finally, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer imagining a future reunion with his lost love in a place where they will never part again.
Overall, Willie Nelson's Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain is a poignant and beautifully crafted ode to lost love, capturing the essence of heartbreak in a deeply moving way.
Line by Line Meaning
In the twilight glow I see her
As the light fades, I can see her
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Her eyes are filled with tears and it's raining
And when we kissed goodbye and parted
We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways
I knew that we'd never meet again
I was certain I would never see her again
Love is like a dyin' ember
Love can fade away like a dying ember
And only memories remain
All that's left are the memories we shared
and through the ages I'll remember
As time goes on, I will continue to remember
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
The memory of her crying eyes in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
When we meet again in the afterlife
We'll stroll hand in hand again
We will walk together hand in hand
In a land that knows no partin'
A place where we will never have to say goodbye
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
The memory of her crying eyes will still linger
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred Rose
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@djc2526
My dad took his own life when I was six. My Uncle, who was only 14, stepped up where no other man in my family did. He was there for me no matter what. He brought me out of my shell as a shy 15 yr old, he encouraged me to get to college and do the one thing I loved, bought me my first beer, took me to my first concert, got me my first job and took me on my first lads holiday.
My Uncle Craig loved his music and always dedicated this song to my Dad. He was the only person that ever talked about him fondly. Most don't even mention my Dad's name. Craig did.
He was a great man, with a huge heart and beautiful soul. He died two weeks ago quite suddenly and I am heartbroken.
But I would not be half the man I am today without Craig. I probably would be living a shit life without his love, protection and teachings. And here I am living a great life with my beautiful wife and daughters. I'm having a rough day today but the emotion and love in this song helps.
Until we meet up yonder.
Rest in Peace.
@Growrena
In the twilight glow, I see
Blue eyes crying in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dyin' ember
And only memories remain
And through the ages, I'll remember
Blue eyes crying in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no partin'
Blue eyes crying in the rain
@UCqkdtMiE5ZquD_lF9prae4Q
Lyrics:
In the twilight glow I see them
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dyin' ember
Only memories remain
Through the ages I'll remember
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no partin'
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Now my hair has turned to silver
All my life I've loved in vain
I can see her star in heaven
Blue eyes crying in the rain
In the twilight glow I see them
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dyin' ember
Only memories remain
Through the ages I'll remember
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no partin'
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Now my hair has turned to silver
All my life I've loved in vain
I can see her star in heaven
Blue eyes crying in the rain
@cristianeroza2874
No brilho do crepúsculo, eu os vejo
In the twilight glow I see them
Olhos azuis chorando na chuva
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Quando nos beijamos e nos separamos
When we kissed goodbye and parted
Eu sabia que nunca mais nos encontraríamos
I knew we'd never meet again
O amor é como uma brasa morrendo
Love is like a dyin' ember
Apenas memórias permanecem
Only memories remain
Através dos tempos eu vou lembrar
Through the ages I'll remember
Olhos azuis chorando na chuva
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Algum dia quando nos encontrarmos lá
Some day when we meet up yonder
Vamos passear de mãos dadas novamente
We'll stroll hand in hand again
Em uma terra que não conhece parte
In a land that knows no partin'
Olhos azuis chorando na chuva
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Agora meu cabelo virou prateado
Now my hair has turned to silver
Toda a minha vida que amei em vão
All my life I've loved in vain
Eu posso ver sua estrela no céu
I can see her star in heaven
Olhos azuis chorando na chuva
Blue eyes crying in the rain
In the twilight glow I see them
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
When we kissed goodbye and parted
I knew we'd never meet again
Love is like a dyin' ember
Only memories remain
Through the ages I'll remember
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Some day when we meet up yonder
We'll stroll hand in hand again
In a land that knows no partin'
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
Now my hair has turned to silver
All my life I've loved in vain
I can see her star in heaven
Blue eyes crying in the rain
@davidstuart401
Sang this song to my son as he was dying in my arms in the hospital. He had a big old smile on his face. But my blue eyes were a crying. My baby, my beautiful baby.
@meds60
Wow I ca not imagine that pain. So sorry for your loss.
@bettyconant6458
Just listened to this song again after a long time and saw your post. Even though it's two years later I am so sorry for your loss
@BEAZM0DE
Aww poor thing rip his legacy is proudly remembered
@claudias9391
It sure is. ❤
@claudias9391
God bless you, David. One day you will see your precious boy again.
@djc2526
My dad took his own life when I was six. My Uncle, who was only 14, stepped up where no other man in my family did. He was there for me no matter what. He brought me out of my shell as a shy 15 yr old, he encouraged me to get to college and do the one thing I loved, bought me my first beer, took me to my first concert, got me my first job and took me on my first lads holiday.
My Uncle Craig loved his music and always dedicated this song to my Dad. He was the only person that ever talked about him fondly. Most don't even mention my Dad's name. Craig did.
He was a great man, with a huge heart and beautiful soul. He died two weeks ago quite suddenly and I am heartbroken.
But I would not be half the man I am today without Craig. I probably would be living a shit life without his love, protection and teachings. And here I am living a great life with my beautiful wife and daughters. I'm having a rough day today but the emotion and love in this song helps.
Until we meet up yonder.
Rest in Peace.
@evaheiser4083
Das Leben geht immer weiter,gute Menschen wie dein Onkel vergisst man nie.Auch ich habe gute Verwandte verloren sie Leben in unserer Erinnerung weiter.Alles gute im weiteren Leben. Willie Nelson gibt mir auch viel Kraft durch seine Songs.Liebe Grüße aus Thüringen. ❤❤❤❤❤❤🇩🇪
@wendideleoncampbell4174
I’m sorry for your loss yet happy for your gain and I hope you find total happiness and peace in your life 🙏😇👍❤️
@wallygiles9258
Feel for you man.