Willie Nelson – There You Are

About the song

It takes a special kind of songwriter to turn a simple phrase into something profound. And Willie Nelson, with his unmistakable voice and seasoned sense of timing, has always had that rare ability. “There You Are,” released in the twilight of the 1980s, is one of those quietly powerful songs that might not have topped every chart, but it lingers in the heart long after the final note fades.

By the time this track came along, Willie was already a living legend—a cornerstone of American music, not just country. His weathered voice and behind-the-beat phrasing had become trademarks, familiar to fans across generations. But even with all his accolades and widespread fame, Nelson never stopped writing and singing about what really matters: love, memory, and the passage of time.

“There You Are” is a perfect example of that. At its core, it’s a song about longing and remembrance, delivered with the kind of understated emotion that only someone with Willie’s life experience can truly offer. The lyrics are plainspoken but rich with feeling. He doesn’t overplay it—he simply allows the words and melody to carry the listener gently into a moment of reflection.

Musically, the arrangement is sparse, letting the emotional weight of the lyrics shine. It’s not dressed up in grand production or flashy instrumentation. Instead, it leans into the strength of its simplicity: acoustic guitar, soft harmonies, and Willie’s iconic vocal, cracked just enough to remind us that he’s lived every word he’s singing.

What makes “There You Are” so compelling is its universality. Whether you’re thinking of someone you lost yesterday or someone you haven’t seen in years, the song taps into that ache of unexpected memory—how a familiar scent, a song on the radio, or even just a quiet moment can bring someone flooding back into your mind. And in that instant, there they are.

It’s Willie Nelson doing what he does best—telling a story that’s deeply personal yet feels like it belongs to all of us. It’s tender, it’s timeless, and like the best of his work, it feels less like a performance and more like a conversation with an old friend.

Video

Lyrics

It might be in the middle of the afternoon,
Maybe somewhere in the middle of night
I might not be thinking anything at all
And a perfect stranger’s face
Catches a certain light
And my heart jumps
’cause all at once

There you are
Standing right in front of me
There you are
As lovely as you’ll always be
And Here I go
Back into those memories
Where you are
Still in love with me.

I know I’ll never hold you in my arms again
I know I’ll never hear you speak my name.
I look around this lonely room and I can see
Your memory’s the only thing that hasn’t changed
I close my eyes
And every time

There you are
Standing right in front of me.
There you are
As lovely as you’ll always be
And here I go
Back into those memories
Where you are
Still in love with me.

Where you are
Still in love with me