Willie Nelson – God’s Problem Child

About the song

By the time Willie Nelson released God’s Problem Child in 2017, the man was already a living monument in American music—part outlaw, part philosopher, and still very much a creative force to be reckoned with. This album, and particularly its title track, is not just another chapter in Nelson’s vast discography—it’s a late-life reflection with the clarity and mischief only someone who has lived deeply and long can muster. In God’s Problem Child, we find Nelson not merely reminiscing but reckoning—with mortality, memory, and the myths that have trailed him throughout his career.

The title alone is a wry nod to Nelson’s enduring persona: the rebel, the questioner, the iconoclast who has always traveled his own road, regardless of the signs or the speed limits. Written by Jamey Johnson, Tony Joe White, and the legendary Leon Russell (who passed away before the album’s release), the song seems tailor-made for Nelson’s weathered voice and philosophical bent. It’s an acknowledgment of the way time humbles us—yet also a sly celebration of a life lived on one’s own terms.

Musically, the track is anchored by a slow, blues-inflected groove that gives Nelson’s vocal delivery ample space to meander with that signature behind-the-beat phrasing. His guitar, Trigger, makes its usual dusty, intimate appearance, weaving soft leads that speak volumes in their restraint. There’s a warmth here, a sense of ease that only comes with age and acceptance—though never resignation. Nelson may be confronting his twilight years, but he does it with both humor and insight.

Lyrically, God’s Problem Child paints a portrait of a man who has been many things—sinner and sage, wanderer and wise man. There’s an honesty to it that feels rare, especially in the twilight of a long career. It’s not self-pitying, nor is it preachy. Instead, it carries the quiet conviction of someone who’s looked life square in the eye and made peace with the contradictions. As Nelson himself sings, “I’ve always been different with one foot over the line.”

In the end, this song stands as both confession and celebration, a testament to the enduring power of music to speak across generations. For fans who have walked alongside Willie for decades, God’s Problem Child is a touching, tuneful reminder that the fire still burns—and always has.

Video

Lyrics

I did the best I could do
But the best I could tell
The higher I flew
The farther I fell

Born in the mud
Raised in the wild
Washed in the blood
God’s problem child

I feel the shine
Following me
Not far behind
That’s where I wanna be
A little out of time
Fine by me

Darkness may fall
We still got a light
Keeping us all
Safe through the night
Heaven must love
God’s problem child
Heaven must love
God’s problem child
Heaven must love
God’s problem child