Willie Nelson is as much a songwriter as he is a legendary artist. Throughout his multi-decade career, Nelson has penned several songs by artists including Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin and others, building upon his lasting music legacy.
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The number of songs Nelson has written for other artists is too many to be contained in one story. Below, we look at three more songs Nelson wrote for his peers through the years.
1. “Hello Walls” by Faron Young
Written by Willie Nelson
Nelson is the sole writer behind this hit single by fellow country singer and songwriter, Faron Young. Released in 1961, the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and reached No. 12 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, serving as Young’s only Top 30 hit on the latter chart. The song turned Nelson from a new artist hustling around Nashville into an established songwriter. He later recorded his own version on his 1962 debut album, …And Then I Wrote.
2. “He’s Not For You” by Dionne Warwick
Written by Willie Nelson
When Nelson wrote and recorded “She’s Not For You” for his 1973 album, Shotgun Willie, it’s likely he wouldn’t have expected that one of the best female artists in rock music would lend her voice to it. But that’s exactly what happened when Dionne Warwick recorded a cover of the track, reworking it as “He’s Not For You.” The song lives in Warwick’s vault of unreleased songs, as it was never included on an album, but it is credited as being the B side to her 1976 single, “I Didn’t Mean to Love You.”
3. “Sing One With Willie” by George Strait
Written by George Strait, Willie Nelson, Bubba Strait and Buddy Cannon
George Strait and Willie Nelson are two kings of country from Texas, so it’s only natural that they’d partner up on a song. The two co-wrote “Sing One With Willie” with Strait’s son Bubba Strait and their longtime songwriting collaborator Buddy Cannon that closes out Strait’s 2019 album, Honky Tonk Time Machine.
I ain’t never got to sing one with Willie / And I’ve held it inside long enough / Now I ain’t too proud, I’m gonna shout it out loud / I ain’t never got to sing one with Willie, Strait sings in the chorus, with Nelson serving as a guest vocalist. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
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