This is a great song but I have never heard the Willie Nelson version (a good bit of trivia is that Willie started his career doing a lot of western swing).
I recommend listening to the "King of Western Swing" Bob Wills own version.
(I personally prefer Spade Cooley's western swing music but his reprehensible and tragic personal life has tended to make people forget him). If you want a great cover try Neko Case with the Pine Valley Cosmonauts on the PVC's *Salute the Majesty of Bob Wills: King of Western Swing, Pioneer, Traditionalist, Avant-Gardist, Magician." The CD contains some great singing and sanctifying and includes Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jane Baxter-Miller (whose voice is my favorite), Meat Purveyors, Alejandro Escovedo, Sally Timms, Rico Bell, Chris Mills, Robbie Fulks, and more.
On a closely related note, The Pine Valley Cosmonauts are "directed" by Jon Langford (Mekons, 3 Johns, Killer Shrews, Skull Orchard, and Waco Brothers) and they also did a Johnny Cash tribute a few years back that was mediocre except for the lovely voice of Jane Baxter-Miller (Texas Rubies and now in some swing band). Anyway, while the latest Waco Brother release *Waco World* is not as good as previous it does contain the great (and political) tunes "The Hand That Throws The Bottle Down (Won't Pick It Back Up)" and "Corrupted". Somewhat disappointingly they changed the lyrics in "Corrupted" for the CD to great rid of cursing but the original chorus is in the sig below.
Does anyone want me to send music reviews to this list? I write short reviews for other lists and such but I hadn't thought about sending them here. Anyone want a review of new releases by Beth Orton, Skeewiff, Visit Venus, Waldeck, Lamb, Bentley Rhythm Ace (!!), Mekons (actually a new collection of "rare tracks"), and more?
Peace,
Jim "Raise your glass
Raise your fist
Raise the dead
Life's too fucking short to paint it anything put red"
--from Waco Brother's "Corrupted" (lyrics by Jon Langford)