After Willie Nelson wrote “On the Road Again” for the film Honeysuckle Rose, the song became so popular they retitled the made-for-TV version On the Road Again.
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Initially, the film’s producer, Sydney Pollack, wasn’t enthused about Nelson’s song because the outlaw singer submitted the lyrics without a vocal melody.
Nelson recalls Pollack’s confusion in his book Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs. The producer asked, “Where’s the melody?”
“Just around the corner,” Nelson said.
Making Music with My Friends
Life on the road, even in ideal conditions, is challenging. It’s as grueling as it is exciting, and Nelson perfectly captures the nomadic life in his quaint country song backed by a “train” beat.
On the road again
Just can’t wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
I can’t wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Going places that I’ve never been
Seeing things that I may never see again
I can’t wait to get on the road again
There’s freedom under the open skies, and the feeling of moving from one city to the next adds momentum to life. You’re going somewhere. However, domesticity isn’t for everyone, and many musicians fall into this category.
A lonely truck driver also experiences the open road, but they don’t have the camaraderie of a band. Touring bands exist in a traveling bubble, and, as a result, the calendar blurs into glowing new towns, venue names, and truck stops.
When the tour ends, returning home offers little comfort. Without the changing scenery, boredom creeps in, and, unsurprisingly, many relationships suffer because of this lifestyle.
Furthermore, Nelson’s four marriages make that point obvious. A four-part docuseries on Paramount+ chronicles Nelson’s life and career, including his most tumultuous times.
On the road again
Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world keeps turning our way
And our way
Honeysuckle Rose
Nelson starred in the 1980 Jerry Schatzberg romantic western Honeysuckle Rose. The film follows an aging musician whose career is declining, and Nelson plays the lead character, Buck Bonham.
Struggling to gain national fame, Bonham’s wife pleads with him to stay off the road and focus on his family. But Bonham can’t give it up, and he finds further trouble when his guitarist and best friend Garland Ramsey (Slim Pickens) retires. Bonham replaces him with Garland’s daughter, Lily (Amy Irving), and she and Bonham begin an affair.
Ultimately, Bonham must choose between Lily and his wife, Viv (Dyan Cannon).
Barf Bag
During a private flight with Schatzberg, the director asked Nelson to write the film’s theme song. Nelson immediately thought of the line: On the road again, [I] can’t wait to get on the road again.
So, he grabbed an airline sickness bag and scribbled the words onto it. “On the Road Again” became a No. 1 Country hit and crossed over to reach No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Willie Nelson & Family
Nelson’s ode to the highway appeared on his 1980 album Honeysuckle Rose (the film’s soundtrack). The album is credited to Willie Nelson & Family and features Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Kenneth Threadgill, Hank Cochran, and Emmylou Harris, among others.
It topped the Billboard Country Albums chart and owing to the crossover success of “On the Road Again,” it reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
A Grammy Award for Best Country Song followed in 1981, and “On the Road Again” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. However, Nelson lost to “Fame,” performed by Irene Cara and written by Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford.
Dolly Parton’s staple “9 to 5” was also nominated for Best Original Song the same year.
Notable Cover Versions
Comedian Conan O’Brien covered Nelson’s classic, reworked as “My Own Show Again,” during his Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour in 2010. The tour followed O’Brien’s abrupt exit from The Tonight Show on NBC.
The Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit released their version in 2020 and donated proceeds to Crew Nation, which supported road crews who couldn’t work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Going Places
For those who haven’t experienced life on the road, it’s hard to fathom the attraction. But there’s no other way to live for musicians like Willie Nelson and his fellow travelers.
Though it’s not for everyone, the tour bus is a refuge, and it’s a beautiful way to experience the world.
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Photo by David Redfern/Redferns
