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.
Don't Give Up
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was taught to fight taught to win I never thought I could fail
No fight left or so it seems I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face I've changed my name but no one wants you when you lose
Don't give up cause you have friends don't give up you're not beaten yet
Don't give up I know you can make it good
Though I saw it all around I never thought that I could be affected
Drove the night toward my home the place that I was born on the lakeside
And as daylight broke I saw the earth the trees had burned down to the ground
Don't give up you still have us
Don't give up we don't need much of anything
Don't give up cause somewhere there's a place there's a place where we belong
Got to walk out of here I can't take anymore
I'm gonna stand on that bridge keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come and whatever may go
That river's flowing that river's flowing
Moved on to another town tried hard to settle down
For every job so many men so many men no one needs
Don't give up cause you have friends don't give up you're not the only one
Don't give up no reason to be ashamed don't give up you still have us
Don't give up now we're proud of who you are
Don't give up you know it's never been easy
Don't give up cause I believe there's a place there's a place where we belong
The lyrics of Willie Nelson's "Don't Give Up" speaks about the challenges of life and how, despite the struggles and setbacks, one should never give up. The first verse talks about the singer's upbringing in a proud and strong land where fighting and winning was taught. However, as he grew older, he realized that his dreams had deserted him, and he changed his face and name but no one wanted him since he had failed. The chorus then comes in with a message of hope, emphasizing that despite failure, one still has friends who believe they can make it good.
The second verse tells a more personal story about the singer witnessing destruction around him that he never thought would affect him. As he drove home, he saw the trees and earth burned down to the ground, leaving him devastated. The chorus then repeats with the same message of hope.
In the third verse, the singer talks about moving to a new town and trying to settle down but finding that there were too many men for the same limited jobs available. The final chorus then comes in, urging the listener not to give up and reminding them that they are not alone. Nelson believes that there is a place where they belong and that they should keep going.
Overall, "Don't Give Up" is a powerful message of resilience and hope, urging the listener not to let setbacks define them and to keep on pushing.
Line by Line Meaning
In this proud land we grew up strong we were wanted all along
I come from a place where we were always accepted and taught to be strong.
I was taught to fight taught to win I never thought I could fail
I was trained to win and thought I could never fail.
No fight left or so it seems I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I feel defeated, as if I have no fight left in me and all my hopes and dreams have vanished.
I've changed my face I've changed my name but no one wants you when you lose
I've tried to change who I am, but people still reject me because of my failures.
Don't give up cause you have friends don't give up you're not beaten yet
You still have people who care about you, and you haven't truly lost yet.
Don't give up I know you can make it good
Keep going, because I believe you can turn things around.
Though I saw it all around I never thought that I could be affected
Even though I saw others struggling, I never thought it would happen to me.
I thought that we would be the last to go it is so strange the way things turn
I always thought we were somehow immune to hardship, but life is unpredictable.
Drove the night toward my home the place that I was born on the lakeside
I went back to my hometown by the lake, which holds many memories.
And as daylight broke I saw the earth the trees had burned down to the ground
When I returned, I saw that everything I once knew had been destroyed by fire.
Don't give up you still have us
Remember that you still have people who support you.
Don't give up we don't need much of anything
We don't need a lot to be happy and fulfilled.
Don't give up cause somewhere there's a place there's a place where we belong
There is a place where we can feel accepted and at home.
Got to walk out of here I can't take anymore
I need to leave this situation because I can't handle it anymore.
I'm gonna stand on that bridge keep my eyes down below
I'll stand on the bridge and focus on what's below instead of what's above.
Whatever may come and whatever may go
I don't know what the future holds, but I'm ready for whatever comes.
That river's flowing that river's flowing
Life keeps moving on, no matter what.
Moved on to another town tried hard to settle down
I've tried to start fresh in a new place and make it my home.
For every job so many men so many men no one needs
There are too many people competing for too few opportunities.
Don't give up cause you have friends don't give up you're not the only one
You're not alone, and there are people who care about you.
Don't give up no reason to be ashamed don't give up you still have us
Don't feel embarrassed or afraid to ask for help, because we're still here for you.
Don't give up now we're proud of who you are
We're proud of you for who you are, and we believe in you.
Don't give up you know it's never been easy
Life is tough, but don't let that discourage you from persevering.
Don't give up cause I believe there's a place there's a place where we belong
I have faith that there is a place out there where we can feel like we truly belong.
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Peter Gabriel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackymashburn
My wife Mickey of 42 year's died a week ago.
I tried so hard to think of just the good times.!!
God I miss that woman so much,
I prayed every night for the Lord to let me see
my wife again. !!!!!
The Lord did grant me the wish to see Mickey
again.
I am so greatfull .
Then tonight I heard this song and it touched my heart ❤️❤️❤️❤️
@Momjeansandshame
This was made just after her protest against the church. She sang it with him the next day at a concert celebration for Bob Dylan. She was being booed off despite other artists support. Their performance was cut out of the final, so Willie released it on his album.
Anyone who actually boos a protesting singer from a Bob Dylan concert with Kris Kristopherson and Willie Nelson clearly has no idea who any of them are. Rest easy Sinead. Thanks for supporting her, fellas.
@justiceharrison5142
Hello there April nice meeting you here
@KateBrownYoga-zf3yy
thanks for posting your reply, april.
sinead sinead....
❤🩹
@robinholmescnx
I pay Sinead is happy now in a much better place.
@adamfirebear
I thought her ripping up that picture was the final true Rock and roll act
@Momjeansandshame
@@adamfirebear you are absolutely right, my friend. Brilliantly said!
@JochenVogel
Two minimalists re-inventing a magnificent song that didn't need to be re-invented. And still this is one of the best moments in music ever. RIP Sinéad O'Connor.
@user-yd1zl1tv8x
Mr. Nelson, thank you so very much for recording this song with Sinead OConnor ....
I believe in life there are no coincidences. With her recent passing, this song soothes the hurt.
Well done sir.
Kind regards!
@melliecrann-gaoth4789
❤️🩹♥️- may Sinead’s children and her siblings and the other people who were very dear in her life- May they be wrapped in a balm of healing. Especially for her children and her siblings- I send a special message of compassion with the balm of healing, it was not easy and life can be very complicated.
@EllisHovey
Sinéad O'Connor made this life-saving song possible.