Country music legend Willie Nelson continues to defy age and expectations. At 92, he’s preparing to release his 78th studio album, a tribute to one of his closest friends and collaborators, Merle Haggard. Titled Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle, the album will be released on November 7, and it marks a deeply personal project for the Red-Headed Stranger.
The first single, “Somewhere Between,” offers a haunting introduction to the album’s emotional landscape. Originally released in 1967 on Haggard’s album Branded Man, the song was co-written with his former wife Bonnie Owens. It’s a quiet, painful ballad about two lovers who can’t seem to connect, even though the love is still there.
Nelson’s new version pays homage to the emotional honesty that defined Haggard’s writing. Lines like:
“Somewhere between your heart and mine / There’s a window that I can’t see through,”
take on even deeper meaning when sung by Nelson, whose voice now carries decades of life, love, and loss.
The album includes 11 tracks, with Nelson covering some of Haggard’s most iconic songs — including “Mama Tried”, “Okie from Muskogee,” and others that shaped the sound of country music for generations.
Willie and Merle’s relationship was more than professional — it was rooted in mutual respect and shared experience. They first met over a poker game in the 1960s at Nelson’s home, and that friendly rivalry evolved into a lasting friendship and musical collaboration, including their iconic duet “Pancho and Lefty.”
In the days following Haggard’s death in April 2016 (which coincidentally was his 79th birthday), Nelson told Rolling Stone:
“I always had a lot of admiration for him. He came onto the scene with a bang… He was able to talk about his life in his songs intelligently and ingeniously.”
Haggard, in turn, once said of Willie: “You can’t bluff Willie Nelson because he calls every bet… He’s his own man. Always has been.”
Now, through Workin’ Man, Nelson is ensuring that the voice of his friend lives on — not just in memory, but in song. At an age when most have long since retired, Willie Nelson is still doing what he does best: telling stories, honoring legends, and reminding us why country music still matters.
