Introducing: One By Willie
Summary
In this episode of One By Willie, music critic Amanda Petrusich discusses Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard's duet "Reasons to Quit" from the album 'Pancho & Lefty'. They explore the album's theme of the "Outlaw's Conundrum"—aging rebels confronting domesticity—and delve into why sad songs can offer comfort and solidarity during difficult times, acting as a life preserver rather than a cure.Episode description
Each week, music writer John Spong talks to one notable Willie Nelson fan about one Willie song that they love, leading to highly personal looks at the life, art, and legend of a genuine American folk hero. Listen here.
New Yorker music critic Amanda Petrusich looks at the other big hit off Willie and Merle Haggard’s classic 1983 Pancho & Lefty album, “Reasons to Quit.” It’s a classic Haggard drinking song, but a little more pensive than most, and Amanda reframes it—and really, all of Pancho & Lefty—as an example of what she calls the Outlaw’s Conundrum, i.e. what’s an old rebel to do when the time comes to settle down? Then we get into the all-star band that backed Willie and Merle on the record and, in a particularly insightful interlude, the specific ways sad songs can help people when life feels like too much to bear.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.