4 Songs Willie Nelson Wrote in His 20s That Forever Left a Mark on Country Music

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 didn’t 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. Let’s look at just a couple of songs that Willie Nelson wrote in his 20s!

Videos by American Songwriter

1. “Undo The Right” (1962)

This beautiful country song comes from Willie Nelson’s debut 1962 album …And Then I Wrote. This lovely little release came out when Nelson was 29 years old, and it’s a classic little ditty that will send you back to a simpler time in country music. “Undo The Right” was a collaborative writing effort between Nelson and fellow country singer/songwriter Hank Cochran.

2. “The Storm Has Just Begun”

Willie Nelson technically wrote this song when he was just 12 years old, but we think it’s 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 Nelson’s “first” songs, “The Storm Has Just Begun” 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.

3. “Man With The Blues”

This early-career Willie Nelson classic was released as the A-side to the above-mentioned B-side track. However, “Man With The Blues” 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.

4. “No Place For Me”

Another great example of Willie Nelson songs from his 20s, “No Place For Me” was released in 1957 when Nelson was 24 years old. It’s 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.

Photo by Johnny Franklin/andmorebears/Getty Images

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.