Willie Nelson Wrote “Crazy,” “Night Life” And “Funny How Time Slips Away” In The Same Week

The GOAT. Of course, we all know that Willie Nelson is one if, and in my opinion the , most prolific and talented songwriters not only in country, but any musical genre. And for many years, he was known strictly as a (struggling) songwriter, who was just trying to make it in the business and put together some sort of artist career. However, once he finally broke through (mostly after he went back down to Texas), he became a pioneer of the country outlaw movement and ultimately, the legend and icon that we know and love today. But back when he moved to Nashville in 1960, on the long drive there from his home in the Lone Star State, Willie wrote what ultimately became three of his perfect, genre-defining country classics and signature songs, "Crazy," "Night Life," and "Funny How Time Slips Away." And in a 2015 interview on The Howard Stern Show , he was the ever-humble red headed stranger and explained that he must've been in a "pretty good writing place," noting that he always came up with song ideas in the car: "Whatever, yeah. I was in a pretty good writing place, for sure. I'm really, you know, I was moving from Texas to Nashville and I wrote those songs. Still working as a DJ but I went to Nashville to king of break into music. And I wrote those songs on the way to Nashville." He says he'll always hop in the car and go for a drive if he needs a little inspiration: "If I really need and want to write  a song today, I'll get in the car and take off driving in any direction, it doesn't matter. And I'll write a song." Willie also did agree that his natural ability to write songs is a gift from God, thought he's never sure if it's that good until he gets home and is able to lay it out and record some sort of demo: "You never know for sure whether the song is any good or not, until you put it down and listen to it. When you're driving, I used to tell myself, If i can remember this until I get home and write it down, it'll be a good song." And if you've never heard the story behind how Patsy Cline wound up recording "Crazy," Willie's first massive cut, you have to hear it from him... it's pretty amazing: "I went to Nashville to sell songs because I heard Nashville is the store, that's where you take your product, and it is. I went to Tootsie's orchid lounge and took a record of mine, this particular one you were playing, 'Crazy,' 'Night Life' and 'Funny How Time Slips Away,' I put 'em on Tootsie's jukebox there in Nashville. And Patsy Cline's husband, Charlie Dick and I were hanging out at Tootsie's drinking beer, and I played him that song 'Crazy,' and he said, 'Patsy's gotta hear this song. Let's go play it for her.' It was already midnight. I said, 'Yeah, 0kay, we'll do it tomorrow.' And he said 'No, come on.' And he went to the house, woke her up, she come out to car, made me go in. And I played 'Crazy' for her and she loved it and recorded it the next week. She tried singing it, she went into the studio to record it and she tried singing it and phrasing it the way I was doing it. And the producer said 'No, you gotta forget Willie's phrasing. You gotta do it on your own.' And she tried four days in the studio and she finally nailed it." I'd say "nailed it" is an understatement... "Crazy" is one of, if not the, most recognizable and beloved country songs ever recorded, and it's truly incredible to think he wrote three incredible, genre-changing songs in less than a week while trekking to Music City to chase his dreams. Long live the red headed stranger... you can watch the clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIp7KP3G-_4 "Funny How Time Slips Away" is one of my favorite songs ever, and this never gets old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uz6noS8aOA "Night Life" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AFWqIQPYGE "Crazy" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRMF0oLJVqs