Willie Nelson’s Made in Texas: A Dancehall Gem from an Unstoppable Musical Force

At 91 Willie Nelson is putting out music roughly 10 years after we all thought he put out his last record. Still touring and still putting out music, Willie is embracing his 91 years and using music to share his joy of life with all of us. I mean, at 90 he got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, put out a blue grass record and was a guest on a Beyoncé album…that’s a great run. Well, he’s still going strong, so let’s take a look at his latest single.

Willie Nelson has written country tracks for roughly 70 years, so he has heard it all. Made in Texas harkens back to a 50s style country dancehall with an upbeat time and some energetic slide guitar. You can feel boots stomping on floorboards with this track, which is different from his previous records that were more acoustic and introspective. The previous records have seen Nelson re-visit some traditional country arrangements, such as blue grass, so it looks like he is going back to dancehall.

Willie Nelson has always been a genuine and personal storyteller and this track continues that vibe, but in a lighter tone. Recently, we have seen Nelson explore themes of mortality, regret and redemption; however, Made in Texas is about celebrating life. He starts at his birth in the back of a car and follows it through his love of dancehall and country music. This is also about the larger than life state of Texas and how Willie embodies that spirit. It is a fun song that is one of celebration and not introspection.

We are used to artists exploring mortality, spirituality and regret later in their career. We have seen it in records by Peter Gabriel, Tears For Fears, Leonard Cohen, Johnny Cash, Iggy Pop and others. Willie has seemed to move past finding meaning in his long life to celebrating life in general. It is refreshing to hear a 91 year old sing about the dancehall and Texas beer. This is a fun song for both Willie Nelson fans and traditional country music fans.

Listen to Made in Texas