There is no one else like Willie Nelson, period. He is as unique and original as they come. You may be familiar with his singing, but not his songwriting. Nelson has written many tunes that were very successful for other artists. This is just a small sampling of his prodigious and remarkable output.
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One of Nelson's gems is a song that you will surely recognize. "Crazy" became a huge hit for the great Patsy Cline. Others have performed it, but not with the sorrowful yearning that she imbued each line with. She had wonderful material to work with in Nelson's perfect tune.
What impresses me most is the fact that these songs are decades old, written when the world was such a different place in good ways and bad, but they have lasted for generations and have been covered distinctively by so many standout people.
Here is the story behind that Nelson-written hit, and three others he is also responsible for.
'Crazy' (1961)
Patsy Cline
Per American Songwriter, Patsy Cline was initially not too wild about this song. Nelson showed it to her husband, Charlie Dick, when Cline was getting her life back together after a serious car crash. "Crazy" proved to be enormous for her. It "became Cline's biggest hit." The notoriety it achieved was amazing. "The song reached No. 2 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles and Easy Listening charts, and No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has been covered by everyone from Linda Ronstadt, Brandi Carlile, Diana Krall, and The Kills."
The song has greatness, longevity, and popularity in its corner. It was added to the National Registry of the Library of Congress in 2003, an honor accorded only to the most special and enduring classics.
'Pretty Paper' (1963)
Roy Orbison
"Pretty Paper" is not a traditional Xmas song but it caught on anyway. In fact, American Songwriter called it "one of the best-known Christmas songs in the country and popular music canons." Nelson's imagination was captured by a severely disabled man who was selling holiday wrapping paper in Fort Worth, Texas. He "literally rolled, crawled and dragged himself on the sidewalks and sold wrapping supplies...."
The Yuletide tune made its way to Roy Orbison, who was ill at the time he recorded it, but he managed to nail it just the same. Even though the song has a somewhat melancholy theme rather than a jolly one, "Pretty Paper" further solidified Nelson's songwriting reputation.
'Funny How Time Slips Away' (1961)
Billy Walker
Walker was the first to record this song, but it was Elvis Presley's cover that really gave it a kick-start. In 1973, Al Green also lent his luster to it, per American Songwriter. He also sang it with Lyle Lovett for the album Rhythm, Country and Blues in 1994. Like many of Willie Nelson's songs, "Funny How Time Slips Away" is resilient and lasting, as beautifully relevant today as it was many years ago.
'Family Bible' (1960 )
Claude Gray
Reliance on the Lord and His guidance and wisdom is yet another key strand in country music, along with storytelling. Nelson explored those rich and resonant motifs in "Family Bible," which American Songwriter reported he was crafting "in 1957 while he was working as a DJ in Vancouver, Washington." in the hands of Claude Gray, the song came alive, attaining the seventh slot "on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart." Another home run in the musical career of Willie Nelson!
