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.
Satisfied Mind
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"If I had his money, I could do things my way."
But little they know, that it's so hard to find
One rich man in ten, with a satisfied mind.
Once I was winning in fortune and fame
Everything I dreamed for, to get a start in life's game
Suddenly it happened, I lost every dime
Money can't buy back your youth when you're old,
Or a friend when you're lonely, or a love that's gone cold
The wealthiest person, is a pauper at times
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind.
When life has ended and my time has run out,
My friends and my loved ones, I'll leave there's no doubt.
One thing's for certain, when it comes my time,
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
Willie Nelson's song "Satisfied Mind" speaks about how true happiness and satisfaction in life are not dependent on material possessions. The opening lines of the song talk about how people often believe that money can buy them everything they need, but they fail to realize that only one out of ten wealthy people has a satisfied mind. This suggests that true satisfaction in life comes from something beyond wealth.
Nelson then narrates his own experiences of having sudden fortune and fame, only to lose it all. However, despite losing all of his wealth, he considers himself to be richer than ever before because he has a satisfied mind. The lyrics here emphasize that material possessions, including money, are fleeting and can disappear at any moment, but the sense of satisfaction and contentment that comes from within will always stay with a person.
The last verse of the song portrays death as the ultimate equalizer, stating that all of the wealth, power, or success in the world will be of no use when one's time comes to leave this world. The only thing that will truly matter then is whether a person has lived their life with a satisfied mind.
As a whole, Willie Nelson’s "Satisfied Mind" is a gentle reminder that true satisfaction cannot be achieved with wealth alone, but it is something that comes from inner peace and contentment.
Line by Line Meaning
How many times have you heard someone say,
People often say that if they had a rich person's money, they could do everything they want.
"If I had his money, I could do things my way."
People believe that having a rich person's money allows them to live life their own way.
But little they know, that it's so hard to find
People are unaware that finding a rich person with content is rare.
One rich man in ten, with a satisfied mind.
Only 1 in 10 rich people are content with their life.
Once I was winning in fortune and fame
I was once rich and famous, successful in life.
Everything I dreamed for, to get a start in life's game
I had everything I needed to start living the life I wanted.
Suddenly it happened, I lost every dime
Unexpectedly, I lost all my money.
But I'm richer by far, with a satisfied mind
However, with a contented mind, I feel richer than my previous state.
Money can't buy back your youth when you're old,
Money can't return your young age when you have grown old.
Or a friend when you're lonely, or a love that's gone cold
Money can't be used to find a friend to keep you company or reignite an extinguished love.
The wealthiest person, is a pauper at times
People who are regarded as wealthy can still experience poverty.
Compared to the man with a satisfied mind.
They have less wealth compared to a person with inner contentment.
When life has ended and my time has run out,
When I die and my time is up.
My friends and my loved ones, I'll leave there's no doubt.
I know that I will be leaving my loved ones behind.
One thing's for certain, when it comes my time,
One thing is sure, I will die one day.
I'll leave this old world with a satisfied mind
But I will also leave with satisfaction in my heart knowing I lived my life contentedly.
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Red Hays, Jack Rhodes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jamie Horwath
Anyone listening to this genuis in 2021?? 🤩The only older country singer who's still got it. He still makes good music with that signature sound. I'm glad he's still with us. Live on brother 🙌🇺🇸
Marianne Menon
Thank you Jamie for your kind words!! Willie is one in a million and I'll love him and his music till the end of time!!!!
Marrianne R.
When a song is recorded by many, it must be one helluva great song! Many people who have done this do justice. They can't screw up this one.
Angie Veri
Awesome classic song, what a great waltz as Willie picks out the notes in this song. Thank you Marianne Menon for this post.
Marianne Menon
Thanks so much dear Angie!!! Have a great weekend!! Glad you enjoyed Willie and Trigger ;)
~Marianne...
Frank Burton
A great song from a great artist. One of the best songwriters. Willies up there with my favourite Outlaw Waylon
tnt9497
Thank you Marianne. Willie Nelson is an American legend!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Andy's Dog House
He not one of my favorites. He IS MY favorite. I listen to his channel every day. Thanks for sharing.
Marianne Menon
Yes that's right Andy!!! Willie IS OUR favorite!!! Good luck with the cars!!! Thank you for your kind words!!
~Marianne...
rimakuja
A most beautiful song from an awesome album with so many of our precious memories attached. Thank you my dear sweetest Marianne for making a most wonderful video worthy the tune :-) ~ Big hugs with love, Stephan ~