Energy Follows Thought

The Stories Behind My Songs

By: Willie Nelson, David Ritz, Mickey Raphael

Narrated by: Willie Nelson, Ethan Hawke

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.

©2023 Willie Nelson (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Everything I expected it to be and then some

Loved it as expected as I read through a few songs at a time. The stories behind the songs are why I love music, and now understand why Willie's set list of late includes the songs it does. (5 shows in 12 months, you tend to wonder why certain classics aren't performed yet performing those lessor known songs clearly separate the die hard fans from the locals just out on the town in the crowd). Listening to someone read the book just hits even deeper and adding in Mickey Raphael's harmony in between just brings it on home. Like others I'd have preferred to heard this one straight from Willie, but Ethan Hawke did it justice.

Willie is a Treasure, and Here He’s opened up the chest!

Great songs, even better stories behind them. Powerful narration from Hawke is not a substitute for Willie but a fitting voice to drift away on the words.

Would rather read

I did not care for the narrator’s voice or how he read the book.
Wish Willie read the book.

Beautiful!!

Loved everything about this! Didn’t realize he had written so many songs. Would recommend to everyone to read.

Great to spend some time inside Willie’s Head.

I thought that I was fairly familiar with Willie’s Songbook but this book gave us so many insights into what he remembered thinking about while creating not just his hits but also the lesser known songs. Listening to his Mind and Heart work through these moments was a real treat.

Ethan Hawke’s narration captured the Mood and Tone of this Genius through all Life’s Ups and Downs beautifully. A well-narrated Audiobook is the best way to capture the experience. Four Stars. ****

Willie is something else

Exactly what I had hoped for, yet I hardly knew what
to expect. Willie explains his thinking with regard to his songwriting and imparts a little Yoda-like wisdom along the way. I’d have liked to hear Willie narrate it, but Ethan Hawke does a stand-up job; eventually, you accept him as the voice of Willie himself (although he is not attempting to impersonate). Makes me want to buy the actual book (a coffee table whopper with a hefty pricetag). It’s great. God bless Willie Nelson.

A great story and a great voice

Quite often, great stories, like this one ruined by the person who reads them. In this case, Ethan Hawke does a great job of telling Willie Nelson’s story.

Willy the Philosopher

He understands life, and the human spirit. Willy wouldn’t ask me to add anymore words.

Woven out of time

This account leaves me feeling gratitude and love with a deeper understanding of what Willie Nelson has seen but more so what he has felt. I love the live description of his faith-based approach to writing and the melody streaming through in its own time. As a keen observer and admirer of the Nelson boys’ work I love the way Lukas has his own, unpredictable timing and I didn’t know Willie did too!!! That’s one of those things that someone born in 1974 says as a very proud 3rd generation Willie Nelson fan, with my Grandmother turning 90 this year. Mine like countless others must have stories in ithemselves that align so closely to the history of the legendary Nelson family. It is woven throughout my Canadian heritage and I am pleased to welcome this love into the hearts of my 23-yr old’s thanks to the Outlaw festival at Woodstock. It was also awakening to hear about Willie’s spirituality and approach to prayer, especially to note it is closely aligned to my beliefs which was also very enlightening and has me wondering…am I simply one of Willie’s metaphor’s…did his words create the energy that made me or are we all just one??? For a few hours of the story, I felt I really understood love so clearly and then I didn’t😊I thought it was also very sweet to feel Ethan Hawke start as the goofy-type gravelly teenager transition to a Clint Eastwood type of character and then to a grounded, heart ful man with sincere gratitude. Thank you so sincerely.
I guess I could have just said, “thought-provoking and well done production”, but hey, I’m not Willie Nelson💓

I enjoy hearing about Willie's creative process. I thought the reader did an excellent job.

I rated it average because by the end I was tired of the stories. I should have listened to an abridged version.