“On The Road Again” ranks as one of music’s most popular and instantly recognizable country songs of all time. Performed by country music legend Willie Nelson, this classic song is also featured in a movie soundtrack from the 1980 movie release, Honeysuckle Rose, in which Nelson also stars. The song charted at the number one position on the Country & Western music charts, as well as crossing over into pop music territory when it reached number twenty on the Billboard charts. The song proved to be Nelson’s sixth number one hit on the country charts as a solo performer, and was his ninth number one hit on the country charts overall.
Released on the Columbia record label, “On The Road Again” was about life while on the road touring and making music. Willie Nelson both wrote and produced the record, after being approached by the producer of Honeysuckle Rose about doing a song for the soundtrack. Nelson quickly penned the song while on an airplane with the movie producer. The song won Nelson a Grammy Award for Best Country Song the following year, and in the year 2011, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song was well received by both country music fans and pop music fans alike, and topped several different record charts in the United States, Canada, and even Australia. It peaked at number sixty four on the Kent Music Report in Australia, and ranked number seventy five in Denmark on the Hot 100. In Canada, the song earned its place at number two on the RPM Country Tracks, and placed number three on the RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks song charts. In the United States, the song reached a peak at number twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on Billboard Hot Country Singles, as well as number seven on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary charts. The song also came in at number twenty two in the United States, on the Cashbox Top 100. Receiving a great honor, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song at number four hundred seventy one in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in the year 2004.
Because of the song’s enormous popularity, “On The Road Again” has been featured in many different movies, television programs, and even video games. This memorable tune has been featured in the movies Shrek, The Littlest Hobo, Monk, South Park, Forrest Gump, and Open Season 3 during a segment which actually shows Willie Nelson and his band rehearsing. Even famous cartoon characters such as The Chipmunks have gotten in on the act, when they used the tune for the 1981 album entitled Urban Chipmunk. Even the video game industry has embraced the ever lasting popularity of the song by including it on such popular video games as 2008’s Guitar Hero: World Tour, Rock Band, and Rock Band Country Track Pack.
“On The Road Again” has appeared on many different albums including the album entitled On The Road Again from 2002, the two disc set called The Essential Willie Nelson from 2003, the live 2012 album One The Road Again: Willie Nelson Live, 16 Biggest Hits, 2003’s Willie Nelson’s Greatest Hits and Some That Will Be, and the 2012 release On The Road Again: Live On Air.
The song also appears on several DVD performances such as The Highwaymen-On The Road Again from 2003 where Nelson appears with fellow country music artists Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings, the 2008 release Willie Nelson and Friends: The Great Outlaw Valentine Concert/On The Road Again, and the two disc DVD set, Willie Nelson- Nashville Superstar and The Great Outlaw Valentine Concert. For the serious fan and Nelson memorabilia collectors, there are even a few VHS concert releases of Willie performing live in which the song is featured that can be purchased through Amazon.
By just listening to the words of “On The Road Again”, the lyrics basically tell the story about how Nelson feels about his life as a touring musician. The line ” The life I love is making music with my friends, and I can’t wait to get on the road again”, basically sums up Nelson’s passion for his music, his love of performing, and the joy he finds in traveling while on tour with with his fellow musicians, who also happen to be his friends.
” On The Road Again” is a catchy tune that almost everybody knows the words to, and it has definitely earned its place in history as perhaps the best loved Willie Nelson song of all time.
