About the song
When people think of Willie Nelson, they often imagine a red bandana, an old, scratched guitar, and a voice like aged bourbon – rich, spicy, but full of humanity. At over 80 years old, Willie Nelson is not only a veteran country artist, he is a symbol of kindness, patience, and enduring endurance amid the dizzying changes of life. Among the deep and emotional songs he has performed, “Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” is a song that brings deep sympathy – especially to those who have experienced loss, loneliness, or mornings when sadness knocks on the door before the morning light.
Released in 1982 on the album Always On My Mind, this song is not loud or fierce. On the contrary, it has a gentle, slow rhythm – like the quiet thoughts of old age. The lyrics describe a tiring morning where everything seems to be falling apart: a broken coffee cup, a lost dog, and finally, a lover who has left. In a world that is already too heavy, the last thing the man in the song needs is… more pain. And ironically, that is what happens right at the beginning of a new day.
Listeners aged 65 and over will often easily find themselves in the lyrics. Not because everyone goes through the same things, but because that feeling – the feeling of silent sadness – is something that life teaches us to face sooner or later. Willie Nelson does not sing to complain. He sings to remind us that sadness is a part of life no matter what, and the important thing is not to avoid it, but to accept it and move on.
In old age, when the children have grown up, friends are scarce, and health is not what it used to be, songs like “Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” are a spiritual medicine. They make the listener feel that they are not alone. That there is someone, somewhere – in the voice of Willie Nelson – who has felt the same way. And that is enough to lighten the heart a little.
If you are looking for a song to listen to on a not-so-happy morning, try listening to this song. Not to make you sadder, but to see that it is the understanding, the sincerity in each note that helps us get through the stormy days. Willie Nelson always has a way of making us feel heard – and that is a rare gift in music and in life.
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Lyrics
The postman delivered
A past due bill notice
The alarm clock rang two hours late
The garbage man left all the trash
On the sidewalk
And the hinges fell off of the gate
And this morning at breakfast
I spilled all the coffee
And I opened the door on my knee
But the last thing I needed
The first thing this morning
Was to have you walk out on me
Last night, you came home late
And I knew you’d been drinking
By that old mellow look on your face
I thought, “It don’t matter
Because it’s the holiday season”
And you fill such a big empty space
But then I laid down beside you
And I wanted your loving
Because your love makes my life complete
But the last thing I needed
The first thing this morning
Was to have you walk out on me
So excuse me for looking
Like my world just ended
And excuse me for looking
Like I just lost my best friend
And excuse me for living
And being forgiving
So just go on if you want to be free
But the last thing I needed
The first thing this morning
Was to have you walk out on me
