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.
Fire And Rain
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
You've got to help me make a stand
You've just got to see me through another day
My body's aching and my time is at hand
I won't make it any other way
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
Na na na. Na na na na na na na na na na. Na na na na na na na na
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now
Thought I'd see you one more time again
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
Fire and Rain is a poignant song by Willie Nelson that speaks of his emotions after learning about the death of a friend. The opening lines of the song are raw and devastating as Nelson reveals that he was only just informed of his friend's death. He then goes over the plans that he and his friend had made for the future, indicating that her death brings an end to those plans. He uses his grief as inspiration to write this song, but he's unsure of who he would send it to. The song is a mixture of emotions from despair and loss to hope and spirituality.
Nelson uses a powerful metaphor in the chorus when he explains that he's seen both fire and rain. These two elements are the polar opposites of each other, representing the highs and lows of life. He's also seen sunny days that he believed would never end, which represents optimism and pure bliss. However, he's also seen his darkest moments, feeling alone and unwanted, and experiencing true heartache.
The final lines in the song ask for help from Jesus. Nelson acknowledges that his time is limited, and he's unsure if he'll make it through another day without divine help. The song culminates with Nelson expressing his desire to see his friend once again. It's a heart-wrenching yet powerful ballad that speaks of life's rollercoaster and how the hopefulness of the human spirit can overcome any obstacle.
Line by Line Meaning
Just yesterday mornin', they let me know you were gone
Yesterday morning, I received the news that you had passed away.
Suzanne the plans they made put an end to you
The plans that were made resulted in your untimely death, Suzanne.
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
This morning, I wrote down this song when I left my place.
I just can't remember who to send it to
I am at a loss as to who to send this song to.
I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I have lived through difficult times and good times.
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I have experienced days of happiness that I thought would never come to an end.
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
I have felt alone, with no one to turn to or talk to.
But I always thought that I'd see you again
I always believed that I would see you again.
Won't you look down upon me, Jesus
Jesus, please look down on me and help me in my time of need.
You've got to help me make a stand
You need to give me the strength to get through this.
You've just got to see me through another day
I need you to help me get through one more day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand
My body is tired, and I feel like my time is running out.
I won't make it any other way
I can't do this on my own, I need your help.
Been walking my mind to an easy time, my back turned towards the sun
I have been reminiscing about happier times when everything seemed easier.
Lord knows when the cold wind blows, it'll turn your head around
The world can be tough and hard, and harsh reality can come upon you suddenly.
Well there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things to come
There is time to talk and discuss the future on the phone.
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground
Everything we dream of or imagine can come crashing down in reality.
Thought I'd see you one more time again
I always thought I would see you one more time, but now I know I won't.
There's just a few things coming my way this time around now
I know there are things coming my way that I am not prepared for.
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you, fire and rain now
I never expected to see anything as devastating as fire and rain, and I never thought I wouldn't see you again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: James Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind