You asked for it, and here it is, with a bonus video on the jump (read more)! — Editors
Ha Ha – the joke’s on us. When you look at a news cycle that’s dominated by music video award scandals, by health care discussions driven by big money manipulation of small-minded politics (gee, I thought it was supposed to be about healthcare); by the murder of a pretty college girl whose tragic death will receive ten thousand times the coverage of a child dying of malnutrition every 6 seconds throughout the day, week and year; by deep division over whether it’s proper for an American President to speak to American school kids: by the demonization of immigrants by a nation of immigrants…And by the total absence of any mention of billions wasted, terrorism stoked and American and Afghan casualties in a war that offers nothing to win
When you look at a day that is our every day, in a time when words mean less than pictures, when volume trumps knowledge, when holding someone’s attention for 30 seconds is considered a success… When you… I’m sorry, I had an important conclusion but was interrupted by an email from a former friend about the Speaker of the House being the spawn of aliens and goats…
When you look at the new normal, sometimes you just have to laugh and hope that a few deep guffaws will recharge your spirits. With that in mind, I introduce the following evidence: a silly music video made by a 76-year-old man on a bus. Fifty years on the bus, for the past twenty he’s sung across America to support small farmers, to promote peace (and a U.S. Department of Peace to help us gain it), to reduce America’s dependence on imported oil, to support American Indians in their search for justice and equality, to decriminalize “herbs and flowers” as he puts it, to commemorate the heroes of 9/11, to remind us in the deepest parts of our hearts what it truly means to be an American who believes in freedom for all. Fortunate to have been his friend for thirty years (and his sometime co-conspirator), I can only conclude that Willie Nelson is made of something we could all use a great deal more of — laughter and love.
Today I bring you laughter. Check back another time for the love. With that, I offer you Willie Nelson and his home-made music video, Shoeshine Man!
Willie Nelson and Turk Pipkin are co-authors of the NY Times bestseller, The Tao of Willie.

Sorry Shaft – Speed bag BURNS!
Siamese twin Willie! I can’t think of anything better!
Willie is the man! I loved the roller coaster bits…playing the harmonica, screaming and bug eyed…love ya!
Great blog…awesome rockin video Willie! You’re the man!
OK, Will, you got too much time on your hands:) Funny stuff. Howdy Papa Coop and the Family for me and VelAnne and maybe you can pressure some politicos to get ours troops home.
Thanks all for digging Willie, and thanks Willie for checking out DogCanyon. Keep up the good work at WillieNelsonpri, the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute.
Thanks for that, Turk. Absolutely made my day. Willie is the best.
My 14 y/o NY grandson said “Who the heck is Willie Nelson?” I’m sending this to him.
That is hilarious. I hope Willie sees your comment. That grandson’s liable to have a big bus pull up in front of his house!
That was fun. More please
I love that Willie’s getting to make silly faces on Youtube like everyone else. Videos aren’t Product(tm) any more. Now they’re your (musical) grandpa exploring iMovie.
Also, I think he should do an album with Ken Nordine.
What an absolute HOOT! Thank you so much for giving me a smile tonight … smile hell, I’m grinnin’ like a ‘possum and I suddenly feel a lot more hopeful about the world, and that’s priceless!