About The Song
“Blue Skies” is a song performed by Willie Nelson, released in 1978 as the lead single from his album Stardust on Columbia Records. Written by Irving Berlin in 1926 for the musical Betsy, the song was first a hit for Ben Selvin, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Nelson’s version, a slow country reinterpretation, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on April 15, 1978, and charted for 17 weeks. It also reached No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 18 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The 3:34 track features an optimistic tone with lyrics like: “Blue skies smiling at me / Nothing but blue skies do I see.”
Nelson recorded the song in 1977 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Booker T. Jones. The session included The Family band, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Jody Payne on guitar, and Bobbie Nelson on piano, alongside a string section arranged by Jones. The arrangement departs from the original upbeat jazz style, adopting a laid-back tempo with a distinctive harmonica intro and gentle strings, reflecting Nelson’s personal touch. Stardust, a collection of pop standards, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 5 million copies by 1984, earning a five-times platinum certification from the RIAA. The album was recorded over two weeks with a relaxed approach.
Nelson selected “Blue Skies” to anchor Stardust, aiming to blend country with classic American standards, a concept pitched by his label to broaden his audience. The song was one of the first recorded for the album, with Nelson drawing inspiration from its hopeful lyrics to contrast his usual outlaw themes. In a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone, Nelson said: “I wanted to sing something my grandma might’ve loved, something timeless.” The track was released as a single ahead of the album’s April 1978 launch, becoming a surprise crossover hit and setting the tone for the album’s success.
The song has a rich history of covers, with notable versions by Frank Sinatra in 1946 and Ella Fitzgerald in 1958, both achieving chart success. Nelson’s take inspired later renditions, including a 1984 version by Willie Nelson and Leon Russell on One for the Road and a 1999 recording by Diana Krall on When I Look in Your Eyes, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1979 Austin City Limits episode was released on the 2006 album Live at Austin City Limits. The song appeared in the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose, where Nelson performed it on-screen, and in a 2015 episode of Nashville, used in a storyline about a country legend.
Nelson included “Blue Skies” in his live sets, notably at the 1978 Fourth of July Picnic in Dripping Springs, Texas, where he played it with a full band. A 1998 duet with Ray Charles was recorded for the album Ray Charles and Friends, released in 2005. The song was performed at Farm Aid 1986, Nelson’s benefit concert for farmers, and featured in a 2017 tribute concert, Willie Nelson: An Outlaw and a Classic, aired on CMT. Its popularity contributed to Stardust’s long chart run, remaining on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for over 10 years.
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Lyric
Blue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds all day longNever saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you’re in love, my how they flyBlue days, all of them gone
Nothing but blue skies from now onBlue skies smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies do I see
Bluebirds singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds all day longNever saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you’re in love, my how they flyBlue days, all of them gone
Nothing but blue skies from now on