🚨 JUST IN: On This Day in 1980, the Classic Soundtrack That Delivered a Willie Nelson Staple Climbed to No. 1 ⚡ML

On this day (November 12) in 1980, the soundtrack from Honeysuckle Rose was at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The film gave Willie Nelson his first starring role. He also produced the album and recorded the songs with his band. It also features guest appearances from Johnny Gimble, Hank Cochran, Kenneth Threadgill, Jeannie Seely, and Emmylou Harris. The LP also features the first appearance of “On the Road Again,” which Nelson penned for the movie.

The movie, based on the Swedish film Intermezzo (1936), stars Nelson as country singer Buck Bonham. His character is a married man whose wife wants him to retire from the road and stay home. Instead, he continues to tour. His longtime guitarist and friend leaves the band, and his daughter steps in to take his place. Soon, she and Bonham began having an affair.

For many, the relationship drama at the center of the film takes a backseat to the music. The soundtrack spent six consecutive weeks at No. 1 and produced a pair of hit singles. “Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground” and “On the Road Again” both went to No. 1 on the country chart. The latter also peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100. It also earned Nelson an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Country Song.

Willie Nelson Wrote “On the Road Again” for Honeysuckle Rose

Willie Nelson has been relentlessly touring for decades. So, it would be easy to believe that “On the Road Again” is a semi-autobiographical song. That’s not the case, though. He wrote it for Honeysuckle Rose. The movie’s alternate title is On the Road Again.

According to Songfacts, Nelson penned the song on an airsickness bag while sharing a flight with director Jerry Schatzberg and executive producer Sydney Pollack. “They were looking for songs for the movie, and they asked me if I had any idea,” Nelson recalled. “I said, ‘What do you want the song to say?’ and Sydney said, ‘Can it be something about being on the road?’ It just started to click,” he added.

Nelson had the song’s chorus almost immediately. However, it took him a little longer to create the melody. In the end, he wrote one of the highlights of the movie and a signature song.