Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
1975 · From Red Headed Stranger
Fred Rose wrote it in the forties; Nelson's Texas version had Columbia's boss asking why he'd sent a demo.
★ 7.3
The Songs canon
Sourced and sung.
Every song chosen by hand, with the recording to play it.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
Browse all 2,393 songs or filter by genre, subject, artist, and year.
On the Road Again
1980 · From Honeysuckle Rose
An airsickness bag, a film producer's request, and a single cut live at a club over two Austin nights.
★ 7.0
Always On My Mind
1982 · From Always on My Mind
Haggard passed on it at the Pancho and Lefty sessions, so Nelson stayed behind and cut it himself after hours.
★ 7.0
Pancho and Lefty
1983 · From Pancho & Lefty
Nelson cut his part after midnight, fetched Haggard from his bus, and kept the one take Haggard wanted redone.
★ 6.5
HighwaymanWillie Nelson
Highwayman
1984 · From Highwayman
Jimmy Webb woke from a dream with four verses about one soul; Nelson, Kristofferson, Jennings and Cash took one each.
★ 5.8
Whiskey River
1973 · From Shotgun Willie
A Johnny Bush song Nelson borrowed for Shotgun Willie, then used to open nearly every concert since 1974.
★ 5.6
Beer for My Horses
2003
Keith and Emerick took a line from a 1975 western, and Nelson topped the country chart at seventy.
★ 3.2