When two legends collide, a masterpiece is born.
George Strait collaborated with Willie Nelson to release the song “Song One with Willie” on March 29, 2019. This was the closing track to Strait’s thirtieth studio album Honky Tonk Time Machine. Strait and Nelson wrote it together with songwriters Bubba Strait and Buddy Canon.
Although the song didn’t break any chart records, Strait already felt like a winner for fulfilling his bucket list: to sing with Willie Nelson. The singer received a positive response from critics for the dream-come-true performance.
Journalist Will Hermes wrote on Rolling Stone, “It’s a half-baked love song between two old Texas legends who are as different as Cash and Graham, but unified by country music.” Meanwhile, Sounds Like Nashville’s Kelly Dearmore described it to be “a hell-raising sing-along that is–shockingly–Strait and Willie Nelson’s first-ever duet.”
Song producer Chuck Ainlay completed the mix of one of George Strait’s greatest duets.
For You
Meaning Behind the Song
After decades of a successful career, there is one thing George Strait hasn’t accomplished, and that is singing with fellow Texas native Willie Nelson. The Country King has already collaborated with Snoop Dogg and Frank Sinatra, but he only checked off his dream collab list when Nelson hopped into the single “Sing One with Willie.”
The mellow tune revisits Straits’ milestone as a country superstar. He expresses his confusion that Nelson had sung with heavy hitters like Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, George Jones, and Toby Keith but never with him. His wish finally came true at the end when the Red Headed Stranger joined the mix. This highlights the power of music to bring talented artists together for a fun yet unforgettable piece.
The duo performed the song together in the tribute show Willie: Life & Songs Of An American Outlaw in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 12, 2019.
Hear George Strait and Willie Nelson’s iconic duet in the single “Sing One With Willie.”
