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.
Winter Wonderland
Willie Nelson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A beautiful sight we're happy tonight walking in the winter wonderland
Gone away is the bluebird here to stay is a new bird
He sings a love song as we go alone walking in the winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build the snowman then pretend that he is Parson Brown
He'll say are you merry we'll say no man but you can do the job when you're in town
Later on we'll conspire as we dream by the fire
The face on the frame the plans that we made walking in the winter wonderland
In the meadow we can build the snowman
The face on the frame the plans that we made walking in the winter wonderland
Walking in the winter wonderland walking in the winter wonderland
The lyrics of Willie Nelson's "Winter Wonderland" describe the joy of wintertime as the singer and their companion walk in a snow-covered lane. The jingle of sleigh bells and the sight of the glistening snow make for a beautiful scene in which they are delighted to be present. They describe a change in seasonal birds, with the bluebird having gone away and a new bird with a love song having arrived. They stroll on, building a snowman in the meadow and pretending that it is Parson Brown. They engage in a playful conversation with the fictional snowman, who asks them if they are merry, to which they reply that they are not but he can do the job when he is in town.
Interestingly, the song's lyrics have subtle yet noticeable differences in various renditions. However, the message and its holiday spirit remain consistent throughout each iteration. "Winter Wonderland" has become one of the quintessential holiday songs played every year, and it is loved by many. The imagery of snow and the playful banter with the snowman make it a favorite among adults and children alike.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleigh bells ring are you listening in the lane snow is glistening
The jingling of bells can be heard as if to make us pay attention to the surroundings. The snow on the lane sparkles like diamonds and adds to the beauty of the environment.
A beautiful sight we're happy tonight walking in the winter wonderland
The snowy winter wonderland is a picturesque view that fills our hearts with joy and happiness as we take a walk and embrace the beauty of the scenery.
Gone away is the bluebird here to stay is a new bird
The bluebird that represented sorrow has gone and has been replaced by a new bird that sings a love song. This signifies a new beginning full of hope and love.
He sings a love song as we go alone walking in the winter wonderland
The new bird's song is a symbol of love and as we walk in the winter wonderland, its melody resonates with our hearts.
In the meadow we can build the snowman then pretend that he is Parson Brown
We can use the snow to create a snowman in the meadow and pretend that it is Parson Brown. This signifies the playful nature of the season, bringing joy and allowing us to embrace our inner child.
He'll say are you merry we'll say no man but you can do the job when you're in town
Parson Brown (the snowman) will ask if we are happy, and we will reply negatively but suggest he can do the job of spreading joy and happiness when he is in town. This line emphasizes the importance of bringing happiness to others during the season.
Later on we'll conspire as we dream by the fire
As the night progresses, we will make plans and conspire by the fire, symbolizing the warmth of the season and the camaraderie with loved ones.
The face on the frame the plans that we made walking in the winter wonderland
We reminisce on the plans we made while walking in the winter wonderland, looking at the pictures on the frame, and feeling grateful for the memories we've created during the season.
Walking in the winter wonderland walking in the winter wonderland
The chorus repeats the joy of walking in the winter wonderland and experiencing the magic of the season.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind