In his long and eclectic career, Willie Nelson has recorded country music, standards, gospel, and much more.

Born in 1933 in the tiny Central Texas farming community of Abbott, Willie Nelson grew up in a world permeated with music: The gospel songs of the grandparents who raised him; the blues and Mexican corridas that eased the labor of the cotton fields; the country and Western Swing hits filling the airwaves from Nashville and Fort Worth...and the inner music was inside of him.

""I was raised and worked in the cotton fields around Abbott with a lot of African-Americans and a lot of Mexican-Americans, and we listened to their music all the time. I guess that's why I was influenced a lot by those around me--there was a lot of singing that went on in the cotton fields,".

Since releasing his first single in 1957, he has given birth to concept albums (his first, Yesterday¹s Wine, was recorded in 1971), gospel albums, jazz albums, movie soundtracks, myriad duet projects, Christmas albums, live albums, and an album of standards (1978's Stardust), which has become a standard in itself.

His around-the-beat blues-flavored vocals set the Nashville musical establishment on his ear. His spare-sounding breakthrough album, 1975's Red-Headed Stranger, went so against the Music City grain of the day that his record company president first thought Nelson had presented him with a demo. His early-70s merger of the traditional country and long-haired hippie audiences was called suicidal at the time, and has since come to be regarded as visionary.

Outside the recording studio, Nelson established himself as a champion for the family farmer with his annual Farm Aid concerts. His Fourth of July Picnics have for the past quarter-century served as a rite of musical passage in Texas. His films include The Electric Horseman (with Robert Redford and Jane Fonda), Songwriter (with Kris Kristofferson), Wag the Dog (with Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman), and many others.

Today, Nelson divides his time between the road and his beloved Pedernales recording studio/golf course in the Hill Country outside of Austin, Texas. Often asked when he plans to retire, Nelson invariably replies with a smile, ""All I do is play music and golf--which one do you want me to give up?""

You Are My Flower

Country

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The Man With No Band	1/5/2009 10:56:31 PM Well ... here we are again ... HAPPY NEW YEAR WILLIE !!!
The Man With No Band	12/31/2007 9:15:56 PM HAPPY NEW YEAR WIllie !!!!!!!!!!!
Roy Muniz	8/2/2007 12:46:46 AM Howdy Willie, I'm glad your hangin' out with us. Will you bring mcdaid over here (below) so I (we)can go see him live. He's quite good. I can't afford the trip to the UK. My Momma said it can't hurt to ask. And Willie, thank you for ALL YOUR GREAT MUSIC and being the way you are. Peace My Friend..roymuniz
Dave McIsaac	8/1/2007 10:22:22 PM Willie, It would surprise me if you personally read this, but (just in case) I just want to tell you what an honor it is for me to have one of my songs listed in the same chart as one of your songs (Cashbox Country Picks). I know it ain't big to you, but it sure is to me!!!!
mcdaid	5/2/2007 7:29:45 PM Hi there willy Iain campbell glasgow sends his regards.please check out my songs.cheers
David Bethune	3/28/2007 12:57:28 PM Hi WIlly, I re-wrote this. Please have a look. ©2007 Lyrics - David William Bethune SOCAN/BMI "The South End Of My Mule" Sick and tired of city life Working eight to five Traffic jams and schedules I'm dam lucky I survived I bought myself some chickens A donkey and a plough Some sacks of seeds for plantin And a one eared milkin cow Build: There's nowhere that I have to go Nowhere I need to be I'm now livin in the country And my soul is finaly free Chorus: So take your city regulations And your city livin rules Pucker up your lips like this And plant yourself a great big kiss On south end of my mule Front porch sittin guitar pickin In my old rockin chair No TV no telephone Breathe clean fresh country air Build: Nowhere that I have to go Nowhere I need to be I'm now livin in the country And my soul is finaly free Chorus: So take your city regulations And your city livin rules Pucker up your lips like this And plant yourself a great big kiss On south end of my mule Some of my neighbors came to visit Real friendly country folk They brought me some of their seeds That I could grow and smoke Build: Nowhere that I have to go Nowhere I need to be I'm now livin in the country And my soul is finaly free Chorus: So take your city regulations And your city livin rules Pucker up your lips like this And plant yourself a great big kiss On south end of my mule Yah.. Pucker up your lips like this And plant yourself a great big kiss On south end of my mule
David Bethune	3/23/2007 1:50:08 PM Hi Willy, I'm a Canadian Lyric writer. Why don't you write a melody for this..:) ©2007 Lyrics - David William Bethune SOCAN/BMI "The South End Of My Mule" Had my fill of city life Working eight to five Traffic jams and schedules I'm dam lucky I survived.. I bought myself some chickens A donkey and a plough A bunch of sacks of seeds to plant And a one eared milkin cow.. Now there's Chorus: Nowhere that I have to go Nowhere I need to be I've moved out to the country And my soul is finaly free Ain't got no one to answer to I live by my own rules The whole dam coporate world can kiss The south end of my mule Front porch sittin guitar pickin In my old rockin chair No TV no telephone Breathe clean fresh country air.. Now there's Chorus: Nowhere that I have to go Nowhere I need to be I've moved out to the country And my soul is finaly free Ain't got no one to answer to I live by my own rules The whole dam coporate world can kiss The south end of my mule Butterflies and bumblebees Wild animals and big old trees There's nowhere else I'd rather be This country life's for me.. And there's Chorus: Nowhere that I have to go Nowhere I need to be I've moved out to the country And my soul is finaly free Ain't got no one to answer to I live by my own rules The whole dam coporate world can kiss The south end of my mule
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