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.
One Day at a Time
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dream one dream at a time
Yesterday's dead and tomorrow is blind
And I live one day at a time
Guess that's your surprised to see me back at home
But you know how much I miss you when I'm gone
Don't ask how long I planned to stay
I live one day at a time
See that sparrow fly across the cloudy sky
Searching for a patch of sunlight
So am I
wish I didn't have to follow
And perhaps I won't in time
I live one day at a time
I live one day at a time
I dream one dream at a time
Yesterday's dead and tomorrow is blind
And I live one day at a time
I live one day at a time
Willie Nelson's song "One Day at a Time" is a poignant, introspective piece that explores the importance of living in the present, without dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. The opening line, "I live one day at a time," sets the tone for the entire song and establishes the central message that life is fleeting and we should make the most of each moment.
The second line, "I dream one dream at a time," suggests that the singer has a realistic approach to his daily life, but he still maintains some hope and aspirations for his future. Despite his practical mindset, he remains open to new experiences and opportunities that may come his way.
The third line, "Yesterday's dead and tomorrow is blind," underscores the theme of living in the present moment. The past is gone and can't be changed, while the future is uncertain and unknown. The only thing we truly have control over is today.
The fourth line, "and I live one day at a time," reinforces the message that we should appreciate and cherish each day as it comes. Nelson emphasizes this point throughout the song, using imagery such as a sparrow flying across the sky, searching for sunlight, to illustrate the idea of being present and engaged with the world around us.
Overall, "One Day at a Time" is a beautiful reminder to slow down, be mindful, and appreciate the small moments that make up our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I live one day at a time
I focus on living in the present and not worrying about the past or future.
I dream one dream at a time
I have one goal or aspiration that I focus on at a time.
Yesterday's dead and tomorrow is blind and I live one day at a time
The past is gone and the future is unknown, so I only concern myself with the present moment.
I guess that's your surprise to see me back at home
You may not have expected me to return home so soon or at all.
But you know how much I miss you when I'm gone
Despite my carefree demeanor, I do feel a sense of longing for you when I am away.
But don't ask how long I planned to stay it never it crossed my mind
I don't have a set plan for how long I will stay; I prefer to simply enjoy the moment as it comes.
See that sparrow fly across the cloudy sky
I can relate to the freedom and spontaneity of the sparrow flying without a set destination in mind.
Searching for a hatch of sunlight so am I
Just like the sparrow searching for a patch of sunlight, I am also searching for moments of joy and contentment in life.
I wish I didn't have to follow and perhaps I want in time
While I enjoy living in the moment, sometimes I wish I didn't have to conform to societal expectations and obligations.
But I live one day at a time
At the end of the day, my focus remains on living in the present and taking each day as it comes.
And I live one day at a time
In case the listener missed the previous message, I am emphasizing that I live in the moment and don't worry about the past or future.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Willie Nelson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ChanelNo19
I came to this song by way of Joan Baez' 1969 cover. It's a shame that people only really know of Wilile's more famous "outlaw" stuff; his early work was among the most beautiful and timeless in all of country music. I don't even think people are aware of how many hits others had, like Patry Cline's "Crazy" were actually written by Willie Nelson.
Renee Reed
yes his earlier, more sober stuff is gorgeous !
Jewel Dotson
Nothing better than these early Willie songs
SweetNLowe75
This is a real beautiful song. The chorus is spot on. "Yesterday's dead, and tomorrow is blind and I live one day at a time" The Flatlanders version is awesome too that was the first version I heard.
suziemckay
I've sung Country music, professionally for years, and one of my duo partners, Donnie Simmons, son of Buddy Simmons, sang this Willie Nelson song every time we performed. It always brought a tear. A very tender, sad story here.
Ringo Dolenz
Great song. I had this on a live album. I think it was part of a medley on that one.
Doanld Raney
Yes it was a medley. I had that album also.
Jennifer Heath
Nothing better than Willie any old time.
Ottlo Blundly
Ive admired Willie since the 60s.
machenderson
this is bone chilling to listen to, and WOW!!