About The Song
“To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before” is a duet performed by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias, released in 1984 as a single from Iglesias’ album 1100 Bel Air Place on Columbia Records. Written by Albert Hammond and Hal David in 1975, the song was originally recorded by Hammond for his album 99 Miles from L.A., but it gained prominence with the Nelson-Iglesias version. The track peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart on May 12, 1984, and charted for 15 weeks. It also reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The 3:30 song reflects on past loves with lyrics like: “To all the girls I’ve loved before / Who traveled in and out my door.”
The duet was recorded in 1983 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Richard Perry. Nelson’s band, The Family, contributed, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica and Jody Payne on guitar, while Iglesias’ vocal tracks were recorded separately in Los Angeles and blended later. The arrangement features a gentle acoustic guitar lead, light strings, and a piano backdrop, balancing Nelson’s country style with Iglesias’ pop flair. The song was included on Iglesias’ album, which sold over 3 million copies by 1985, earning triple platinum certification from the RIAA. It was also added to Nelson’s 1985 compilation Half Nelson, which featured his duets.
The collaboration came about after Iglesias, seeking to break into the American market, approached Nelson for a duet. The song’s selection was a compromise—Nelson initially suggested a country standard, but Iglesias pushed for a more universal ballad, landing on Hammond and David’s composition. In a 1984 interview with Billboard, Nelson said: “Julio brought a new energy to the song—it was something I hadn’t tried before.” The track’s success marked a rare crossover hit, bridging country and pop audiences, and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group in 1985. It also won the ACM Award for Single of the Year in 1984.
Covers of the song include a 1975 version by Albert Hammond and a 1986 rendition by Engelbert Humperdinck on After Dark, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance by Nelson and Iglesias at the 1984 CMA Awards was later released on the 2005 DVD Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin’. The song appeared in the 1985 film St. Elmo’s Fire, used in a bar scene, and in a 2019 episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, underscoring a nostalgic moment. Nelson and Iglesias reunited to perform it at the 1992 World Music Awards in Monte Carlo, where they received a special recognition for the song’s global impact.
Nelson included the song in his live sets, notably at the 1984 Fourth of July Picnic in Austin, Texas, where Iglesias joined him on stage. A 2003 recording with Toby Keith was released on the album Live and Kickin’. The song was performed at Farm Aid 1986, Nelson’s benefit concert for farmers, and featured in a 2018 tribute concert, Willie Nelson: American Outlaw, aired on A&E. The track’s popularity led to its inclusion in Nelson’s 2013 duets album To All the Girls…, which took its name from the song, featuring collaborations with female artists.
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Lyric
To all the girls I’ve loved before
Who traveled in and out my door
I’m glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I’ve loved beforeTo all the girls I once caressed
And may I say I’ve held the best
For helping me to grow
I owe a lot I know
To all the girls I’ve loved beforeThe winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
And they just carry me awayTo all the girls who shared my life
Who now are someone else’s wives
I’m glad they came along
I dedicate this song
To all the girls I’ve loved beforeTo all the girls who cared for me
Who filled my nights with ecstasy
They live within my heart
I’ll always be a part
Of all the girls I’ve loved beforeThe winds of change are always blowing
And every time I try to stay
The winds of change continue blowing
And they just carry me awayTo all the girls I’ve loved before
Who traveled in and out my door
We’re glad they came along
We dedicate this song
To all the girls I’ve loved before