Nathaniel Rateliff on "A Song for You"
One by Willie
John Spong
4.6 • 898 Ratings
🗓️ 25 May 2022
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Americana singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff talks about the cut that closes Willie’s 1973 album Shotgun Willie, “A Song for You.” It was arguably Willie’s first iconic cover song, written by one of his closest friends and most important collaborators, Tulsa legend Leon Russell, and it prompts Nathaniel to think aloud about the biker funeral where he first heard it; the crazy, early-70s days when Leon and Willie first hooked up...and the great lesson Nathaniel learned from Willie on creating a space—and a life—that brings friends together to make music.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Texas Monthly. |
| 0:10.8 | Hey there, I'm John Spong with Texas Monthly magazine, and this is One by Willie, |
| 0:16.0 | a podcast in which I talk each week to one notable Willie Nelson fan about one Willie |
| 0:20.7 | song that they really love. |
| 0:22.7 | This week, we visit with singer-songwriter Nathaniel Raitliff about the cut that closes Willie's |
| 0:27.7 | 1973 album, Shotgun Willie, a song for you. It's one of the quietest, most nuanced recordings |
| 0:34.4 | Willie ever made, and it was written by one of his dearest friends and most |
| 0:38.0 | important collaborators, the immortal Leon Russell. We'll get into who Leon was in the crazy |
| 0:43.9 | early 70s days when he and Willie first got so close, but also the great lesson that Nathaniel |
| 0:49.1 | learned from Willie and Leon on creating a space and a life that invites friends to come make music together. |
| 0:56.3 | Oh, and he also talks about first hearing this song at a biker funeral. |
| 0:59.8 | So let's do it. |
| 1:02.1 | Hey, it's art. |
| 1:02.7 | Well, you taught me precious secrets of a truth withholding nothing. |
| 1:15.4 | You came out in front what I was hiding |
| 1:17.7 | The starting point is |
| 1:21.1 | You want to talk about a song for you |
| 1:24.2 | What's so cool about a song for you? |
| 1:29.3 | Oh, well, I mean, I grew up here in that song of the Leon Russell version. It was also a song |
| 1:35.7 | near and dear to me. They played it at my uncle's funeral when he passed. But I didn't know. |
| 1:41.3 | It's been recorded by over 40 artists. |
| 1:44.8 | Wow. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Spong, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of John Spong and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.