4 Willie Nelson Songs That Everyone Should Know, Even Though They Weren’t All Big Hits

With a career spanning seven decades, Willie Nelson has released a lot of songs. Nelson might be best known for iconic singles like “On The Road Again”, “Always On My Mind”, and others. But these four are also among the greatest singles he ever released, even though they weren’t big hits at radio.

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“The Party’s Over”

In 1967, Nelson had a Top 25 hit with “The Party’s Over“. On his The Party’s Over and Other Great Willie Nelson Songs, Nelson is the sole writer of “The Party’s Over”.

“The Party’s Over” says, “Turn out the lights / The party’s over / They say that all / Good things must end / Call it a night / The party’s over / And tomorrow starts / The same old thing again.”

Before Nelson recorded “The Party’s Over”, Claude Gray released his own version in 1959.

“Half A Man”

In 1963, Nelson released “Half A Man”. On his sophomore Here’s Willie Nelson record, Nelson is the only writer of the song.

“Half A Man” says, “If I’d only had one arm to hold you / Better yet if I had none at all / Then I wouldn’t have two arms that ache for you / I’d have one less memory to recall.”

Nelson released one more single from Here’s Willie Nelson, “Take My Word”. The song did not chart.

“Mona Lisa”

On Honeysuckle Rose is “Mona Lisa”, a Top 15 hit for Nelson. The record is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, out in 1980, and starring Nelson.

Before Nelson put his spin on “Mona Lisa”, it was recorded by several other artists, including Nat King Cole and Conway Twitty. Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, “Mona Lisa” says, “Mona / Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you / You’re so like the lady with the mystic smile / Is it only ’cause you’re lonely they have blamed you? / For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?“

“Mona Lisa” became a Top 15 song for Nelson. The other two songs from the record, both “On The Road Again” and “Angel Flying To Close To The Ground”, hit No. 1.

“Ain’t Necessarily So”

Nelson’s streak of hits at radio was coming to an end in 1990 when he released “Ain’t Necessarily So”. Written by hit songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman, “Ain’t Necessarily So” is Nelson’s final Top 20 on the country charts.

A song about overcoming seemingly impossible odds, using Biblical characters as references, “Ain’t Necessarily So” says, “Little David was small, but oh my / Little David was small, but oh my / He fought with Goliath, who lie down and dieth / Little David was small, but oh my.”

The song appears on Nelson’s Born For Trouble album.

Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic