Willie Nelson Marks Mother’s Day With ‘I’m the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised’ [Listen]
Willie Nelson is serving up an unusual Mother's Day tribute with a cover of "I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised."
Nelson is the latest in a line of country singers including Johnny Paycheck, George Jones and Hank Williams III who have lent their voices to the song about a man who can't help but embrace his dark side and abandon his mother's moral teachings. From stealing a car to robbing a liquor store, the main character of the song insists that he's the only bad thing to come from his mother.
Honoring the original recording by Paycheck, Nelson's rendition will add a pep to your step, the upbeat melody matching the personality in his voice.
"She told me not to smoke it / But I did and it took me far away / And I turned out to be / The only hell my mama ever raised," the country legend sings alongside graphics of vintage Mother's Day cards with various decorative floral designs that add bright energy to the song.
"I'm the Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised" became a Top 10 single for Paycheck in 1977, and a cover of the song is featured on Williams' 2014 album, Ramblin' Man. Nelson's rendition will appear on his upcoming album, First Rose of Spring. His 70th studio project, it follows 2019's Ride Me Back Home, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, while the title track scored Nelson a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance. The music icon has also shared "Our Song" from the upcoming project, written by Chris Stapleton.
First Rose of Spring is set for release on July 3.
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