“Last Leaf on the Tree” by Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson is no spring chicken. At 92, he is still driving around the country in his iconic bus, performing with his family and friends and working for the various causes that are dear to him. He’s also recording critically-acclaimed records. “Last Leaf on the Tree,” released in November of 2024, has been hailed as some of his best work in years. Although his voice has acquired a bit of a wobble, and his fingers aren’t as deft as they used to be, his music is as powerful as ever. This is perhaps most evident in the songs in which Trigger, Willie’s trusty guitar, is allowed to take center stage; worn practically to splinters, each note played on Trigger’s strings still resonate with a warmth impossible to emulate.

Originally penned by Tom Waits, “Last Leaf on the Tree” is the title track on what is Willie’s 76th solo studio album, which was lovingly curated and produced by his son, Micah Nelson. “Last Leaf,” a sentimental ode to his impressive longevity, couldn’t be more fitting for the nonagenarian singer-songwriter:

When the autumn wind blows, they’re already gone

They flutter to the ground, they just can’t hang on

When there’s nothing in this world that I ain’t seen

I greet all the new ones that are coming in green

I’m the last leaf on the tree

The autumn took the rest

But they won’t take me

‘Cause I’m the last leaf on the tree

They say I got staying power

Here on the tree

But I’ve been here since Eisenhower

And I’ve outlived even he

I’m the last leaf on the tree

The autumn took the rest

But they won’t take me

I’m the last leaf on the tree

When Willie performed this song at the 2024 Farm Aid in Saratoga Springs, New York, flanked by his sons Micah and Lukas, there wasn’t a dry eye to be found. Although the lyrics pay homage to his stubborn refusal to give in to his age, it felt almost rueful, as if Willie were lamenting the other “leaves” who had already fallen. So, while it’s a song about determination and having hope in the next generation, “Last Leaf” felt, at the time, like Willie’s way of saying “goodbye.”

For those listening now who have lost friends and family and find themselves alone on the tree, it may offer some solace.