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.
Jambalaya
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me gotta go, pole the pi rogue down the bayou
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo
Thibaud, Fontaine aux, the place is buzzing
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh.
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Settle down far from town, get me a pirogue
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Jambalaya and a craw fish pie and filé gumbo
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
Willie Nelson's song Jambalaya is a cheerful and lively tune that takes you on a musical journey to the bayou where the singer, Joe, bids farewell to his friend and sets off to meet his beloved Yvonne. The opening lines, "Goodbye, Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh, Me gotta go, pole the pi rogue down the bayou," are full of excitement and energy as Joe eagerly sets off to meet his love. The song is an upbeat celebration of life that showcases the joy of living in a small town full of friendly people, delicious food, and a vibrant music scene.
The verses of the song describe the different elements of life on the bayou. Jambalaya and crawfish pie are two of the most popular dishes in Louisiana, and filé gumbo is a spicy soup made with fish, sausage, and rice. The lines "Pick guitar, fill fruit jar, and be gayo" are a nod to the fun-loving nature of the people in the bayou who love to dance and make music. The chorus of the song repeats the idea that Joe is going to have a great time with Yvonne, and they will enjoy all the joys that the bayou has to offer.
Overall, Jambalaya is a charming ode to the beauty of Louisiana, and the simple pleasures of life like music, food, and love. The song has a catchy tune that can get stuck in your head for days, and its upbeat tempo can make anyone sway with its rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye, Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh
I must bid farewell, Joe, for I have to leave this place immediately.
Me gotta go, pole the pi rogue down the bayou
I have to row my flat-bottomed boat along the waterway towards the bayou.
My Yvonne, the sweetest one, me oh my oh
Yvonne, my dearest love, who is incredibly sweet.
Son of a gun, we'll have big fun on the bayou
We're going to have immense joy and enjoyment on the waterway.
Jambalaya and a craw fish pie and filé gumbo
We're going to eat jambalaya, crawfish pie, and filé gumbo tonight.
'Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
Because tonight, I'm going to visit my beloved friend.
Pick guitar, fill fruit jar and be gayo
I'm going to play the guitar, drink from the fruit jar, and have a great time.
Thibaud, Fontaine aux, the place is buzzing
Thibaud, Fontaine aux, is full of energy and excitement.
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
Yvonne's relatives are coming by in large numbers to meet her.
Dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh.
We'll get all dressed up and have an unbelievable time.
Settle down far from town, get me a pirogue
I'll find a quiet spot away from the city and acquire a pirogue.
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
I'll hook every fish I can find in the waterway.
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-o
I will exchange my currency to acquire whatever Yvonne requires.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hank Williams, Sr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Néris Franco
Eu amo as musicas de Willie Nelson , OBRIGADO!!!
Lennie Volle
Son of a gun ~ What a great performance!!! LOVE IT!!!
Boston Brotherhood
This Hank Williams melody to close the show was superb. Brought a tear to my eye!
anella d'ambrosio
Amo questa canzone! Ma soprattutto amo Willie... Che bella performance! 🥰😊😍😘🎶🎸🎶💘❤️💋💯🍀
doublecrossharp
Relaxed laid back Version with lovely Solos. 👍😎👍
Lennie Volle
LOVE YOU WILLIE NELSON & FAMILY!!!
Jesse Ross
Can't wait to see him in Oakland next week!
emanuel baynosa
We love you willie
Dixiele
Lukas such a good son✌🏼💥🎸😎😇
Doris Johansson
❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️🥰❤️