Details

Release Date: 11/07/2025

Workin Man: Willie Sings Merle is Willie Nelsons 78th solo studio album and 155th album overall. It features Willie's new interpretations of classic songs written by Merle Haggard, the latest in Nelsons storied history of focusing entire albums on a single songwriters or artists work. Nelson and Haggard were longtime friends and collaborators who released three collaborative albums together: 1983s Pancho and Lefty, 2007s Last of The Breed (alongside Ray Price) and 2015s Django and Jimmie. Eleven of Willies favorite Merle compositions were handpicked for the album. Nelsons new performances include songs from various parts of the legends career, from tracks off of Merles first #1 Country album, 1966s Swinging Doors(Swinging Doors, Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down) and late 60s career defining hits (Mama Tried, Okie From Muskogee) to 70s classics (the heart-breaking holiday track If We Make It Through December, the southern-rock tinged Ramblin Fever) and Merles #1 honky-tonk classic from 1980 I Think Ill Just Stay Here And Drink. Produced by the artist with longtime collaborator Mickey Raphael, the album was recorded at Nelsons Pedernales Studios in Austin and features the final recordings he did alongside longtime Family band members Sister Bobbie Nelson and Paul English. Constants in Nelsons personal and professional world longer than anyone, Sister Bobbie on piano and English on drums are joined by Raphael on harmonica, Kevin Smith on bass and Pauls brother Billy English on drums and percussion.

CD Track Listing:

1. Workin Man Blues
2. Silver Wings
3. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
4. Today I Started Loving You Again
5. Swinging Doors
6. Okie From Muskogee
7. Mama Tried
8. I Think Ill Just Stay Here And Drink
9. Somewhere Between
10. If We Make It Through December
11. Ramblin Fever