Back in 2019, Lukas Nelson, one of Willie Nelson’s four children who decided to follow in his musical footsteps, dropped an acoustic rendition of “My Own Peculiar Way.” According to Lukas, he had been having a great time out on the road and playing with his dad. And so, he decided to do a cover of an old song by his old man that he really loved and share it with his fans.
He uploaded it on his YouTube channel and the official Facebook page of his California-based rock band, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (POTR). While it didn’t gain traction as much as his other covers like “Funny (How Time Slips Away),” it was no less impressive. It still was – in every sense of the word.
Lukas Nelson’s Rendition
“My Own Peculiar Way” was penned by Willie Nelson himself and appeared in two albums, Country Willie: His Own Songs (1965) and My Own Peculiar Way (1969). It talks about a different kind of love – a love that didn’t “meet” the standards of society but, ultimately, is still love. And it was one of those songs that was just so easy to the ear.
Accompanied solely with his guitar, Lukas Nelson delivered his own take on the song.
If you’ve ever heard him sing his dad’s songs before, you’d say without a hint of doubt that he’s the son of the Willie Nelson. He has the uncanny capability to channel the same reedy yet resonant voice. And fans definitely agree. In fact, Lukas has heard one too many times that he sounded like his father.
For You
This song was no exception. He sang it like his father, but there were subtle touches that you’d hear that made it his own. And it was made even better with his seamless guitar playing.
In a 2020 interview with Matt Parker of Guitar World, Lukas shared that his style was a feels-based approach. “I started with the Strat and moved on to the Les Paul Junior quite a bit later, but I kind of learned by the old blues guys and Hendrix and Stevie Ray and Clapton,” he said. After that, he moved on to the likes of JJ Cale, BB King, and Neil Young, who played like “less is more.”
He added that whenever he played live, he always thought about finding the space and just playing what needed to be played. It was like that with this rendition, too. The guitar sound fits like a glove to the track.
Re-experience the simple beauty of Willie Nelson’s “My Own Peculiar Way” through the voice of his son, Lukas Nelson, in the video below.
