4 Songs Willie Nelson Wrote in His 20s That Forever Left a Mark on Country Music
Willie Nelson made it big a little later in life, but the outlaw country icon also wrote a few gorgeous and underrated songs in his 20s.
Willie Nelson has enjoyed a longer career than most, and a more seasoned and successful career than virtually any country star out there. Considered a pioneering figure in outlaw country, Nelson didnât achieve his fame until he was a little bit older. However, he had been writing and making music for quite a while in his 20s and even younger, and many of those early-career hits could inspire any aspiring young musician. Letâs look at just a couple of songs that Willie Nelson wrote in his 20s!
This beautiful country song comes from Willie Nelsonâs debut 1962 album âŠAnd Then I Wrote. This lovely little release came out when Nelson was 29 years old, and itâs a classic little ditty that will send you back to a simpler time in country music. âUndo The Rightâ was a collaborative writing effort between Nelson and fellow country singer/songwriter Hank Cochran.
Willie Nelson technically wrote this song when he was just 12 years old, but we think itâs worthy of our list of songs from his 20s because it was first recorded in 1955 when Nelson was 22 years old.
One of two singles that could be considered Nelsonâs âfirstâ songs, âThe Storm Has Just Begunâ was recorded at KBOP radio station in Pleasanton, Texas, where Nelson was working. Fun fact: Willie Nelson is a big fan of polka, and this song was written while he played for a local polka band in Abbott, Texas as a kid.
This early-career Willie Nelson classic was released as the A-side to the above-mentioned B-side track. However, âMan With The Bluesâ was recorded in 1959 when Nelson was 26 years old. Nelson famously paid for the recording session by giving his booking agent half of the publishing rights to the tune. Nelson revisits this classic often, and it was re-recorded as recently as 2023 for the album Bluegrass.
Another great example of Willie Nelson songs from his 20s, âNo Place For Meâ was released in 1957 when Nelson was 24 years old. Itâs his official debut single, and the song sold about 3,000 copies after its release. That may not seem like much today, but it was a pretty big deal back in the day.
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