And it’s one of those words where if you’re trying to cover a song, it’s tricky to sing. John Spong: And, I mean, in the second verse-“Don’t salve my heart with sympathy.” Salve is not a word that shows up in a lot of country songs, least of all in the early sixties. And then every verse is very poetic, and it’s just like, you get a real picture of who he’s talking about, and you hope you’re not it. It says everything you need in the first verse, in a way. I think that song is just such a work of art. You know what I mean? That’s what I love about it, is you can be mean, but to do it so crafted, in such a beautiful and-I don’t know. I mean, it’s so beautiful, and . . . it’s the most beautiful, poetic middle finger you’ll ever hear. I’ve heard you say it’s harsh before-what’re you getting at? Well, songs are kind of alive like that, and they just-they change as you grow. He’s always got enough, but he likes to revisit stuff, and he makes it different each time. I don’t feel that way about Willie anymore. He goes back to the catalog, which, a long time ago, I thought was maybe what you do when you don’t have enough songs for the next record. John Spong: Well, it’s the magic of Willie. I didn’t realize it was on several albums, actually-different versions-but, makes sense. Norah Jones: Do you have the Demo Sessions version? You’re lucky with a song if you get one of those things, I feel like.
Norah Jones: Yeah, it covers a lot of cool things. John Spong: That’s every base, with a runner on it. And it’s just, musically, one of the most interesting chord progressions. And also so clever-it’s got his sense of humor in it. I mean, it’s a devastating song in so many ways, I feel like.
I picked this song because it’s just one of my favorites. John Spong: What’s so cool about the Willie song “Permanently Lonely”? And a hint as to that last thought: like all Willie stories, it’s about family. This week, we visit with one of Willie’s go-to duet partners, Norah Jones-a nine-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and jazz vocalist par excellence-about another of his old Pamper Demos, “Permanently Lonely.” It’s a song she calls both poetic and harsh, and in a first for the show, she actually plays a little piano to illustrate what’s so interesting to her about the way Willie put it together, referring to the song as a “beautiful puzzle.” She’ll also recall the way she leaned on Willie’s music when she first left Texas for New York City, the first time she ever got to sing with Willie, and the wonderfully weird way she came to appear on our show. The show is brought to you by White Claw Hard Seltzer. John Spong (voice-over): Hey there, I’m John Spong with Texas Monthly magazine, and this is One By Willie, a podcast in which I talk each week to one notable Willie Nelson fan about one Willie song that they really love.
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