About the song
Few voices in country music carry the unmistakable, well-worn character of Willie Nelson’s. Before he was the Red Headed Stranger, before he became the outlaw country icon with his signature braids and bandana, Willie was a songwriter navigating the traditional Nashville sound of the 1960s. “Undo the Right,” recorded in 1962, captures Willie at a pivotal moment—a young artist with an old soul, penning heartbreak with a sharpness that cuts right to the bone.
The song is an honest plea, an attempt to rewind the damage done in a faltering relationship. It’s about regret, redemption, and the realization that sometimes the only way to move forward is to undo what went wrong. Willie’s lyrics are simple but devastatingly effective, delivered with a sincerity that’s impossible to fake. You can hear the weight of every word, a reflection of Willie’s gift for finding the universal in the personal.
Though Willie Nelson’s early recordings didn’t immediately launch him to stardom, “Undo the Right” gave listeners a glimpse of the songwriting prowess that would later make him a legend. It was co-written with Hank Cochran, another country music powerhouse, and it brims with the kind of raw honesty that became a hallmark of Willie’s career. The song resonates with anyone who’s ever wished they could take back a mistake, undo a hurt, or rewind time to a moment before things fell apart.
This track stands as a testament to Willie’s early years—a moment when Nashville’s clean-cut sound couldn’t quite contain the rough-edged genius that was soon to burst free. Listening to “Undo the Right” now is like peering through a window to the past, a reminder of where Willie started, and how deeply his music continues to touch the heart.
Video
Lyrics
if you can’t say you love me say you hate me
and that you regret each time you held me tight
if you can’t be mine forever then forsake me
if you can’t undo the wrong
undo the right
it’s too late to say your heart is filled with sorrow
you can’t undo what’s done
why do you try
so please so i can face the new tomorrows
if you can’t undo the wrong
undo the right
it was right when you loved me only
but wrong when you held another tight
so before you go away and leave me lonely
1961 tree publishing co., inc.
