"On the Road Again"
UK release picture sleeve
Single byWillie Nelson
from the albumHoneysuckle Rose
B-side	"Jumpin' Cotton Eyed Joe" (Johnny Gimble)
Released	August 1980
Recorded	Fall 1979
Studio	Enactron Truck, Hollywood, California
Genre	Country
Length	2:38
Label	Columbia
Songwriter	Willie Nelson
Producer	Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson singles chronology
"Midnight Rider" (1980) "On the Road Again" (1980) "Family Bible" (1980)
Audio video
"Willie Nelson - On The Road Again (Official Audio)" onYouTube

"On the Road Again" is a song written and recorded by Americancountry music singerWillie Nelson.

The song, about life on tour, came about when the executive producer of the filmHoneysuckle Rose approached Nelson about writing the song for the film's soundtrack.^[1] "On the Road Again" became Nelson's 9th Country & Western No. 1 hit overall (6th as a solo recording act) in November 1980, and became one of Nelson's most recognizable tunes. In addition, the song reached No. 20 on theBillboard Hot 100, and No. 7 on the Adult Contemporary chart.^[2] It was his biggest pop hit to that time and won him aGrammy Award for Best Country Song a year later.

In 1980 Nelson starred in his first leading role in theJerry Schatzberg filmHoneysuckle Rose, about an aging musician and his relationship with his family, who also are part of his band that travels throughout the United States while playing in different venues.^[3] Shortly after signing the contract, Nelson was approached during a flight by Schatzberg and the executive producer of the movie, who requested him to write a song about life on the road to use as the theme song.^[4][5] Nelson quickly wrote the song on abarf bag.^[6] The tune featured a "train beat".^[7][8]

The song was released with Nelson's 1980 albumHoneysuckle Rose, reaching the first position onBillboard's top country albums, while it ranked twenty on theBillboard Hot 100.^[9] Nelson received aGrammy Award for Best Country Song, while he was nominated for Best Original Song during the53rd Academy Awards.^[10] In 2004,Rolling Stone ranked it No. 471 on its list of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[11] In 2011, "On the Road Again" was inducted to theGrammy Hall of Fame.

The song has also featured in several other films and TV series includingKing of the Hill,South Park,Shrek,Shameless,Family Guy,Forrest Gump,The Big Green,The Littlest Hobo,Monk,Open Season 3,The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run,Dumb and Dumber To,Nomadland, andGhostbusters: Afterlife^[12]

A live version of the song is featured in 2008 video gameGuitar Hero World Tour, while the studio version was released forRock Band via theRock Band Country Track Pack.

• Conan O'Brien performed the song as "My Own Show Again" during his 2010Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour, changing the lyrics to reflect how he could not wait to return to hosting a television series after leavingThe Tonight Show earlier in the year.^[13]
• "Forever Country", a promotional single released in 2016, features the song as a medley with "I Will Always Love You" and "Take Me Home, Country Roads".^[14]
• First Aid Kit released a cover of "On the Road Again" as a single in 2020. Proceeds from the song sales were donated to Crew Nation in order to support the members of crew who were forced off the road and out of work due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.^[15]

• Whitburn, Joel,Top Country Songs: 1944–2005, 2006.
• Whitburn, Joel,Top Pop Singles: 1955–2006, 2007.

• Berry, Mick; Gianni, Jason (2004).The Drummer's Bible. Tucson, Arizona: See Sharp Press.ISBN 1-884365-32-9.
• Cartwright, Gary (2000).Turn Out the Lights: Chronicles of Texas in the 80's and 90's. University of Texas Press.ISBN 9780292711990.
• Corcoran, Michael Joseph (2005).All Over The Map: True Heroes Of Texas Music. University of Texas Press.ISBN 9780292782495.
• Deming, Mark (2012)."Honeysuckle Rose (1980)".Allmovie. Rovi Corporation, Inc. RetrievedMarch 26, 2013.
• Hilburn, Robert (October 11, 1986)."Willie Nelson: The Landmark Career of the Red-Headed Stranger".Billboard. p. W-2.
• Jurek, Thom (2012)."Honeysuckle Rose".Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. RetrievedMarch 26, 2013.
• Rolling Stone staff (2004)."On the Road Again".Rolling Stone. Archived fromthe original on April 1, 2008. RetrievedMarch 26, 2013.
• Rolling Stone staff (2) (2004)."The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".Rolling Stone. Archived fromthe original on January 10, 2007. RetrievedMarch 26, 2013.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
• Thomas, Willie (1995).Jazz Anyone.....? MAKING Music A Simple Language systems for Jazz. Vol. 3. Alfred Music Publishing.ISBN 9780769230160.

• Songs about roads
• 1980 singles
• 2007 singles
• Willie Nelson songs
• Songs written for films
• Songs written by Willie Nelson
• Columbia Nashville Records singles
• 1980 songs

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