Cody Johnson goes back in time with the great Willie Nelson to cover a country classic, reviving Nelson’s enduring “Sad Songs and Waltzes.”
First released by Nelson as part of his 1973 album, Shotgun Willie, the track artfully speaks to the outlaw spirit of blazing your own creative path, and that’s something Johnson knows all about.
Staying faithful to the original with a slow-loping rhythm, the new duet features all the down-in-the-dumps drama of Nelson’s first recording. But just like that first version, the drama is a metaphor. The track is actually a lesson about being true to yourself, and with Johnson’s vocal adding a fresh layer of fullness to the track — plus a spirited guitar solo by Nelson — that lesson is as potent as ever. Johnson says he first heard the song on a late-night broadcast of PBS’ Austin City Limits, and it stuck with him.
“You could tell that it was pretty early on in his leaving of Nashville, because his hair wasn’t very long,” Johnson explains. “Willie said, ‘Well, I went up to Nashville and I had a pile of songs, and I sang ‘em all for the record man, and the record man told me, sad songs and waltzes aren’t selling this year, son.’”
Nelson famously went on to make those sad songs and waltzes sell, and his work still helps inspire Johnson’s authenticity today — even when it seems out of step with the mainstream.
“The way I am, the music I create, the way that I look, and the cowboy that I am hasn’t been a trend in Nashville for a long time,” Johnson says.
Their new “Sad Songs and Waltzes” duet will now inspire others as part of Johnson’s forthcoming double album, which is expected this fall with 18 tracks in total. Meanwhile, the Texas native is back on the road and headed for a highlight performance, with tickets for his June 19 headlining show at Nashville’s Historic Ryman Auditorium on sale now. And you can bet he’ll be thinking of Nelson’s example going forward.
“Willie was very gracious to do it,” Cody Johnson says of the collab. “I got to have a very candid conversation with him, and it was one that meant a lot to me.”