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.
I Love You Because
Willie Nelson Lyrics
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And you're always there to lend a helping hand, dear
But most of all I love you 'cause you're you
No matter what the world may say about me
I know your love will always see me through
I love you for the way you never doubt me, but most of all I love you 'cause you're you
I love you because my heart is lighter every time I'm walking by your side
No matter what may be the style or season
I know your love will always see me through
I love you for a hundred thousand reasons
But most of all I love you 'cause you're you
The lyrics of this song express the deep affection and appreciation that the singer has towards their partner. The verses explain why the singer loves this person so much by listing various reasons. One of the main reasons mentioned is that they feel truly understood by their partner, and that this person always supports and encourages them. The singer also mentions that their heart feels lighter and the future seems brighter when they are with their partner. They feel a sense of security in knowing that their love will see them through any challenges that they may face. Ultimately, the singer concludes that what they love most about this person is simply who they are - their unique qualities and personality.
These lyrics are a beautiful testament to the power and importance of love and connection in our lives. They serve as a reminder that when we find someone who truly understands us and accepts us for who we are, this is a rare and precious gift. The song acknowledges the challenges that can arise in relationships, but ultimately emphasizes the strength that love can provide in overcoming these challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you because you understand, dear, every single thing I try to do
I appreciate that you comprehend every little thing I attempt to do
And you're always there to lend a helping hand, dear
You are consistently available to give me a hand when I require one
But most of all I love you 'cause you're you
Most importantly, I love you for who you are
No matter what the world may say about me
Regardless of what people may say about me
I know your love will always see me through
I am confident that your love will always support me
I love you for the way you never doubt me, but most of all I love you 'cause you're you
I adore that you never question me, but essentially, in the end, I love you merely for who you are
I love you because my heart is lighter every time I'm walking by your side
Being with you makes my heart feel lighter and my burdens feel less heavy
And I love you because the future's brighter, the door to happiness you opened wide
I also love you in light of the fact that the future looks brighter with you and because you opened the door for me to experience and feel happiness
No matter what may be the style or season
Irrespective of the latest fashion or time of year
I know your love will always see me through
I am certain that your love will always guide and protect me
I love you for a hundred thousand reasons
I love you for innumerable reasons
But most of all I love you 'cause you're you
But in the grand scheme of things, I love you most of all because of who you are
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LEON PAYNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind