About the song
Few artists in American music embody the spirit of resilience, reflection, and rebellion quite like Willie Nelson. At an age when most would have long since retired from the road, Nelson continues to forge ahead, writing, recording, and performing with the same rugged charm and poetic insight that have defined his career for more than six decades. His 2017 album God’s Problem Child stands as a testament to his unwavering artistry, a collection of songs that find him confronting mortality, legacy, and the passage of time with a blend of humor, wisdom, and honesty. The title track, “God’s Problem Child,” is among the most evocative pieces on the record—an understated, bluesy meditation on the inevitable and the unknown.
Written by Jamey Johnson and Tony Joe White, the song carries the weight of two veteran songwriters who understand the complexities of life on the fringes. Johnson, a country troubadour known for his raw, unvarnished storytelling, and White, the late swamp-rock pioneer with a knack for Southern gothic storytelling, crafted a song that perfectly suits Nelson’s world-weary voice. The lyrics paint a portrait of a man who has always walked the line between sin and redemption, never quite fitting in but never quite being cast out either. It’s a theme that has followed Nelson throughout his life and career, from his early days as a Nashville outsider to his later years as a countercultural icon.
The song’s arrangement is as unhurried as the wisdom it imparts. A slow, blues-drenched groove underpins Nelson’s weathered vocals, with sparse but effective instrumentation that allows every lyric to breathe. There’s an unmistakable air of reflection in Nelson’s delivery, as if he’s turning the words over in his mind while singing them, considering their deeper implications. At 84 years old at the time of recording, his voice may have lost some of its youthful smoothness, but it has gained something far more valuable: the authority of lived experience. Every note he sings feels earned, every phrase shaped by decades of triumph, heartbreak, and defiant perseverance.
Lyrically, “God’s Problem Child” doesn’t dwell on regret or sorrow; instead, it offers a wry, almost bemused acceptance of life’s unpredictability. The chorus—“I did the best I could do, but the devil made me do it the first time / The second time I done it on my own”—encapsulates the song’s dry humor and unrepentant spirit. It’s the voice of a man who knows exactly who he is, who’s made peace with his past but isn’t about to sugarcoat it.
The track is made even more poignant by the fact that it was one of the last recordings to feature the legendary Tony Joe White before his passing in 2018. White’s distinctive guitar playing—low, simmering, and full of swampy grit—adds a spectral presence to the song, as if his spirit was already lingering between the notes. Meanwhile, the background vocals, provided by Johnson and Leon Russell (another musical giant who passed away before the album’s release), give the track an almost gospel-like depth, reinforcing its themes of reckoning and redemption.
But while “God’s Problem Child” may sound like a song of farewell, it is anything but. Nelson has never been one to dwell on endings; rather, he embraces each phase of life as just another stop on the journey. That’s the essence of this song—it’s not about looking back in sadness, but about acknowledging the road traveled and tipping your hat to the mysteries ahead. It’s the kind of song that only an artist like Willie Nelson could bring to life, with the wisdom of a man who has seen it all and the soul of a troubadour who still has stories left to tell.
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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