It's All Going To Pot
Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard Lyrics
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Whether we like it or not
The best I can tell
The world's gone to hell
And we're sure gonna miss it a lot
All of the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Just couldn't hit the spot
You keep your pills
'Cause it's all going to pot
That cackle-babble-head-in-a-box
Must think I'm dumb as a rock
Readin' me the news
While I'm kickin' off my shoes
And it's scarin' me outta my socks
That Red Headed Stranger I'm not
But buddy, let me tell you what
If you ask ol' Will, he'll say here's the deal
Friends, it's all goin' to pot
Well, it's all going to pot
Whether we like it or not
Best I can tell
The world's gone to hell
And we're all gonna miss it a lot
All the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Just couldn't hit the spot
I got a hundred dollar bill
You can keep your pills, friend
It's all goin' to pot
Well, I thought I had found me a girl
Sweetest little thing in the world
But all my jokes went up in smoke
When I caught her makin' eyes at Merle
He said, a sweet little honey
With her eye on your money
Is gonna take every penny you got
I said she's never gonna get it
'Cause I've already spent it
Merle, it's all goin' to pot
It's all going to pot
Whether we like it or not
The best I can tell
The world's gone to hell
And we're all gonna miss it a lot
All the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Just couldn't hit the spot
Got a hundred dollar bill
You can keep your pills, friend
It's all going to pot
I got a hundred dollar bill
You can keep your pills, friend
'Cause it's all goin' to pot
The song "It's All Going to Pot" by Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard uses a clever play on words to convey the idea that the world is going to hell. The opening line, "Well, it's all going to pot," is a double entendre that refers both to the idea that the world is falling apart and the phrase "going to pot," which means to deteriorate or become corrupt. The rest of the song uses a mix of humor, wordplay, and cynicism to describe the state of the world.
The song starts with a reference to Lynchburg, Tennessee, the home of Jack Daniels whiskey. The line "all of the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee is just couldn't hit the spot" is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying that even alcohol isn't enough to dull the pain of living in a world that's falling apart. The next line, "I gotta hundred dollar bill, friend, you can keep your pills," is a nod to the idea that people often turn to drugs to deal with the stresses of life.
The song then takes a turn towards the absurd, with Willie Nelson complaining about a "cackle-bobble-head-in-a-box" (presumably a TV news anchor) scaring him out of his socks. He then references the country singer and fellow outlaw, the Red Headed Stranger (a nickname for Willie Nelson himself), before concluding that "it's all going to pot."
Overall, the song is a wry commentary on the state of the world, and a reminder that sometimes the best way to deal with difficult situations is to find humor in them.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, it's all going to pot
Everything is falling apart and going to ruin.
Whether we like it or not
We cannot escape the fact that the world is crumbling.
The best I can tell
From what I can see and perceive,
The world's gone to hell
The world has deteriorated and is in terrible condition.
And we're sure gonna miss it a lot
We will long for the world as it once was.
All of the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Even the best whiskey cannot help us cope with our problems.
Is just couldn't hit the spot
It can't satisfy us and make us feel better.
I gotta hundred dollar bill, friend
I have money, but it won't fix anything.
You can keep your pills
I don't need drugs to numb my pain or escape reality.
'Cause it's all going to pot
Because everything is falling apart and nothing can fix it.
That cackle-bobble-head-in-a-box
The news anchor on TV.
Must think I'm dumb as a rock
The news is condescending and insulting.
Readin' daily news
Watching the news every day.
While I'm kickin' off my shoes
Trying to relax and unwind.
It's scarin' me outta my socks
The news is so scary that it's making me nervous and uneasy.
The Red Headed Stranger I'm not
I am not a famous musician like Willie Nelson (the Red Headed Stranger).
But buddy, let me tell you what
But listen to what I have to say.
If you ask ol' Will
If you ask me (Willie Nelson).
he'll tell ya here's the deal
I'll tell you the truth.
Friends, it's all goin' to pot
My friends, everything is falling apart and there's nothing we can do about it.
Well I thought I had found me a girl
I thought I had found a great girl to be with.
Sweetest little thing in the world
She seemed like the perfect person.
But all my jokes went up in smoke
But my attempts to win her over backfired.
When I caught her makin' eyes at Merle
When I saw her flirting with Merle Haggard.
He said, sweet little honey
Merle is talking about the same girl.
With her eye on your money
She's only interested in his money, not him.
She's gonna take every penny you got
She'll drain his bank account and leave him with nothing.
I said she's never gonna get it
I said that she won't take my money.
'Cause I've already spent it
But the truth is I don't have much money left to take, because I've already spent it.
Merle, it's all goin' to pot
Merle, everything is falling apart and it's out of our control.
I gotta hundred dollar bill
I have money.
You can keep your pills, friend
I don't need drugs to escape my problems.
It's all going to pot
Everything is falling apart and it's out of our control.
Whether we like it or not
We cannot avoid the fact that the world is deteriorating.
The best I can tell
As far as I can see,
The world's gone to hell
The state of the world is terrible and getting worse.
And we're all gonna miss it a lot
We will long for the world as it once was.
All the whiskey in Lynchburg, Tennessee
Even the best whiskey cannot help us cope with our problems.
Just couldn't hit the spot
It can't satisfy us or make us feel better.
I gotta hundred dollar bill
I have money.
You can keep your pills, friend
I don't need drugs to escape my problems.
'Cause it's all going to pot
Because everything is falling apart and there's no escaping it.
I gotta hundred dollar bill
I have money.
You can keep your pills, friend
I don't need drugs to cope with my problems.
'Cause it's all goin' to pot
Because everything is falling apart and we can't do anything to stop it.
Lyrics Β© MDT MUSIC ADMIN & CONSULTATION, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jamey Johnson, Buddy Cannon, Larry Shell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlesjames5199
Even in their old age, still 1000x better than any country singers on the radio today
@miramccort9156
+Charles James Yep!!!!!
@Kevin-vr9np
I often say I don't like country, but what I really mean is I don't like modern country music. I love willie nelson, Johnny cash ect.
@kennethlauer4735
+Tin_tin132 yup.
@charlesjames5199
+Tin_tin132 Willie, Merle, Cash, etc is outlaw country. That new shit on the radio is pop country. Thts the difference. They didnt play what ppl wanted to hear, they played what they wanted to. A lot of country singers today dont even write their own shit, and aint even from the country. They're more on the michael jackson side of things
@blindy4jesus434
True dat!!!
@fifteenbyfive
It's 2022 and I'm sure that seven years later everyone realizes how right these guys were. Classical Willie Nelson on guitar, that sound is just as unique today as it ever was.
@OGRE_HATES_NERDS
and willies latest album is another masterpiece
@swhisscheez
Willie is amazing. I knew he was good but didnβt know how good of a guitarist he truly is until I saw him live.
@fifteenbyfive
@Me There's truth in what you're saying for me too. I understand what you mean.