Hear The Song Lukas Nelson Wrote When He Was Just 11 Years Old That Blew His Dad Away
Lukas Nelson Records “You Were It,” The First Song He Ever Wrote
Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas Nelson, is following in his musical footsteps. On June 20th, Lukas released his debut solo album, American Romance. For many years prior, the 36-year-old toured as the front man for his former band, Promise of the Real.
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Now pursuing a solo career, Lukas has the opportunity to release music that is uniquely his. He recently stopped by The Howard Stern Show, where he discussed the new album and reflected on his journey to this point in his career.
One song in particular, “You Were It,” has a special backstory.
“The first song I ever wrote, when I was about 11, it’s called ‘You Were It.’ It’s a great song and I don’t think that since I have written a song that’s better. My dad heard it back then and he was blown away…”
Willie Nelson ended up recording the song written by his young son for his 2004 album, It Always Will Be.
Later, fellow musician Kris Kristofferson heard the track and told Lukas:
“Man, you don’t have a choice but to be a songwriter.”
Now, 25 years later, Lukas Nelson has shared his version of “You Were It” with the world. Listen to it below!
Lukas Nelson Reflects On Making His Dad Proud
What made Lukas Nelson want to pursue music in the first place? He admits it stemmed from a desire to connect with Willie, who was always on the road.
“My dad would leave all the time, and I’d be naturally upset as a little kid, and I knew that if I learned how to be a great musician we would be bonded forever. It wasn’t about being as great as him, it was about speaking the same language.”
Despite having a superstar for a father, Lukas made it a point to carve his own path. He told Howard Stern that his goal was to make his dad proud by being “completely self-sufficient” as a musician.
“I wanted to make him proud by not needing him. I put 70,000 miles on a ’91 Econoline Ford with my first band, and we went out for 15 years and played 250 shows a year straight and built something with ourselves that now I can say I feel like I’ve earned — and I think that makes my dad and my mom the most proud.”
Years of hard work and grueling tour schedules have crafted Lukas into the musician he is today. This would be particularly admirable to his Grammy-award-winning father, who Lukas says always respects people for their individuality.
Ultimately, the eldest Nelson son says he feels fortunate to call Willie Nelson, “one of the greats of all time,” his dad.
“I got lucky that my dad is an inspiring human, not just a musician, but an inspiring person to be around. He’s like Muhammad Ali. He is one of the greats of all time. And not just a musician, but as a well-rounded human being.”
Watch Lukas Nelson’s full interview on The Howard Stern Show below!
