About the song
In **“It Gets Easier,”** the venerable **Willie Nelson** offers more than just a song—he offers a soft-spoken reflection, rich with the quiet wisdom that comes only with time. Released in 2017 when Nelson was in his early 80s, this track from his album *God’s Problem Child* is a masterclass in the art of aging with grace. At a stage in life when many might shy away from the tough conversations about mortality, regret, and acceptance, **Willie Nelson** meets them head-on, with characteristic humility and dry humor.
The beauty of **“It Gets Easier”** lies in its simplicity. The arrangement is sparse—just Nelson’s familiar, ever-warm voice, his understated guitar work, and gentle backing that leaves plenty of space for the lyrics to breathe. That space is critical because every line in this song feels like a personal conversation. “It gets easier as we get older,” he sings, “It gets easier to say ‘not today.’” It’s a striking sentiment—one that acknowledges the creeping comfort of putting things off, even as time slips by. And yet, rather than wallowing in melancholy, the song feels oddly reassuring. There’s a sense that Nelson has made peace with life’s impermanence.
Listeners who have grown up alongside **Willie Nelson’s** music—or who have found him later in life—will find much to relate to in this song. His voice, weathered but strong, doesn’t strain for youth. Instead, it leans into age, delivering each phrase with a kind of knowing shrug. He’s not trying to convince anyone of anything. He’s just telling it like it is.
In an era of auto-tuned perfection and lyrical bravado, **“It Gets Easier”** stands out as something rare: a quiet, unflinching meditation on the passage of time. For older listeners in particular, it offers not just nostalgia but solidarity. And in true **Willie Nelson** fashion, it leaves you with a wry smile—and maybe a lump in your throat.
Video
Lyrics
It gets easier, as we get older
It gets easier to say “not today”
And it gets easier, as we get older
To say “go away and not today”
I don’t have to do
One damn thing
That I don’t want to do
Except for missing you
And that won’t go away
It gets easier to say “some other time”
It gets easier to tell the world to wait
And it gets easier to watch the world fly by
And tell it, “I will catch up, but not today”
I don’t have to do
One damn thing
That I don’t want to do
Except for missing you
And that won’t go away
Except for missing you
And that won’t go away
