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4.0(2)

Energy Follows Thought : The Stories Behind My Songs

For the first time ever, and to help celebrate his 90th birthday in 2023, American icon Willie Nelson provides the stories behind the lyrics of 160 of his favorite songs.

From his earliest work in the 1950s to today, Willie looks back at the songs that have defined his career, from his days of earning $50 each to his biggest hits, from his less well-known songs (but incredibly meaningful to him) to his concept albums. Along the way, he also shares the stories of his guitar Trigger, his family and “family,” as well as the artists he collaborated with, including Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Dolly Parton, and many others.

Willie is disarmingly honest—what do you have to lose when you’re about to turn 90? —meditating on the nature of songwriting and finding his voice, and the themes he’s explored his whole life—relationships, infidelity, love, loss, friendship, life on the road, and particularly poignant at this juncture of his life: mortality.

Revealing, funny, whimsical, and wise, this book is an enduring tribute to Willie Nelson's legacy.


Authors:

  • Willie Nelson
  • David Ritz
  • Mickey Raphael

Narrators:

  • Willie Nelson
  • Ethan Hawke

Format:

  • Audiobook

Duration:

  • 6 h 41 min

Language:

English

Categories:

  • Biographies
  • Arts and entertainment
  • Culture
  • Music

More by Willie Nelson

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  1. Willie and Annie Nelson's Cannabis Cookbook : Mouthwatering Recipes and the High-Flying Stories Behind Them

    Willie Nelson, Annie Nelson

    book

  • 2 books

    Willie Nelson

    Willie Nelson is one of the most popular, prolific, and influential songwriters and singers in the history of American music. He has recorded more than one hundred albums over six decades, appeared in several films, and written two New York Times bestsellers: Willie: An Autobiography and The Facts of Life and Other Dirty Jokes.

    Read more

  • 12 books

    David Ritz

    David Ritz is a songwriter who has collaborated with stars like Janet Jackson and Marvin Gaye, as well as a renowned ghostwriter who has authored more than fifty books for some of the biggest stars in music: Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Lenny Kravitz, Joe Perry, Smokey Robinson, Don Rickles, and Willie Nelson, to name a few. His articles have appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Essence, People, Art Connoisseur, and elsewhere. He lives in Los Angeles with Roberta, his wife of nearly fifty years.

    Read more

  • 1 book

    Mickey Raphael

    Mickey Raphael, one of the country’s leading harmonica players, has been a member of Willie’s Family band for fifty years. He has performed on hundreds of albums and has served as a producer and arranger.

    Read more

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