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.
Gotta Serve Somebody
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
You're gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
Money and drugs at your command and women in a cage
You may be a businessman with some high-degree thief
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yeah, you are
You're gonna have to serve somebody
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Might be a state trooper, might be a young Turk
You may be the head of some big TV network
May be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
You may be living in another country under another name
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes, you are
You're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
You might be a construction worker working on a home
Might be living in a mansion, you might live in a dome
You may own guns and you might even own tanks
You may be somebody's landlord, you may even own banks
Oh, but you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Yeah, you are, gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
And it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
You may be a preacher (hey) with your spiritual pride
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
May be somebody's mistress or somebody's heir
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yeah (serve somebody)
You gotta serve somebody (serve somebody)
Now, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
May be sleeping on the floor, or sleeping in a king-sized bed
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody), yes, indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
You may call me Terry, you may call me Tilly
You may call me Bobby, or you can call me Willie
May call me R.J., or you may call me Ray
You may call me anything, no matter what you say
You're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
Yeah, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
And it might be the devil (it may be the devil)
But it might be the Lord (it may be the Lord)
Oh, you're gonna have to serve somebody (serve somebody)
(Serve somebody)
(Serve somebody)
(Serve somebody)
(Serve somebody)
Willie Nelson's song, "Gotta Serve Somebody", discusses the idea that everyone serves somebody, whether it be the devil or the Lord. The lyrics suggest that regardless of one's status or occupation, everyone is obligated to serve someone or something. The first verse of the song suggests that even those who have grandeur and power in society still have a greater authority to which they are accountable. Whether they are an ambassador, a heavyweight champion, or a socialite, they are all subject to serving someone. The second verse describes those in the entertainment industry, businessmen, and those in positions of authority. Even if they have money, power, or influence, they are still bound to serve somebody.
The third verse goes on to discuss those who may not have as much power or status in society, such as state troopers, construction workers, or those living in poverty. Regardless of their position or level of success, they too are compelled to serve someone or something. The final verse discusses religious figures, corrupt politicians, and those working in mundane jobs, showing that everyone serves somebody, regardless of their position in society. This song serves as a reminder that no matter who we are, there is always something to which we must submit.
Line by Line Meaning
You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may hold a prestigious position as an ambassador for your country
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may enjoy taking risks or socializing through dancing
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a strong and successful athlete recognized as the best in the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls
You may be known in high society for your wealth and fashion sense
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
No matter who you are, you ultimately have to answer to someone or something
It may be the devil or it may be the Lord
The entity you answer to might be good or evil
You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage
You may be a musician who is addicted to performing and has access to fame and excess
Money and drugs at your command and women in a cage
Your lifestyle may involve the use of drugs, money, and objectification of women
You may be a businessman with some high-degree thief
You might be a professional with access to illegal or unethical practices
They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief
Your profession and position may be respected or feared
Might be a state trooper, might be a young Turk
You may work in law enforcement, or be a youthful and ambitious person
You may be the head of some big TV network
You may hold a powerful position in media
May be rich or poor, you may be blind or lame
Your financial situation or physical abilities do not exempt you from serving someone
You may be living in another country under another name
Your identity and location may be hidden or in a different country
You may be a preacher (hey) with your spiritual pride
You may be a religious leader with arrogance and vanity
You may be a city councilman taking bribes on the side
You may be an elected official who is corrupt and accepting illegal payments
You may be workin' in a barbershop, you may know how to cut hair
You may have a simple job as a barber, but have a skillset others do not possess
May be somebody's mistress or somebody's heir
Your status may be due to your relationship with another person
Might like to wear cotton, might like to wear silk
Your fashion preferences do not determine who you serve
Might like to drink whiskey, might like to drink milk
Your beverage choices are irrelevant to who you answer to
You might like to eat caviar, you might like to eat bread
Your food preferences do not determine who you are obligated to serve
May be sleeping on the floor, or sleeping in a king-sized bed
Your living condition does not change the fact that you have someone to answer to
You may call me Terry, you may call me Tilly
My name does not matter, as we all have to serve somebody
You may call me Bobby, or you can call me Willie
My name is not significant, as everyone has to answer to someone or something
You're gonna have to serve somebody
In life, there is always someone or something that we have to answer to
And it might be the devil (it may be the devil)
The entity that you serve may bring negativity or evil into your life
But it might be the Lord (it may be the Lord)
The entity that you serve might bring positivity or goodness into your life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Doris Johansson
Wonderful - I love it
Lennie Volle
YEAH! I LOVE IT!!!!
Lennie Volle
GOT TO GET THIS!!! ~ So very cool!
Josh Pritt
This sounds like it was made somewhere in the 80s or the 90s.
Blues Rain
woww!!!
Lennie Volle
YOU CAN CALL ME ZIMMY LENNIE!!! and I Love you WIllie ...