About The Song
“Stardust” is a song performed by Willie Nelson, released in 1978 on his album Stardust on Columbia Records. Written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1927 with lyrics added by Mitchell Parish in 1929, the song became a jazz standard, first hitting No. 1 with Isham Jones in 1930. Nelson’s version, a gentle country interpretation, was not released as a single but became a standout track on the album, which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The 3:53 track reflects on lost love with a dreamy tone, with lyrics like: “Sometimes I wonder why I spend / The lonely night dreaming of a song.”
Nelson recorded the song in 1977 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Booker T. Jones. The session featured 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 slows the original jazz tempo, emphasizing Nelson’s emotive vocals, Raphael’s harmonica, and a subtle string backdrop, blending country with pop elements. The album Stardust sold over 5 million copies by 1984, earning a five-times platinum certification from the RIAA, and remained on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for over 10 years.
The song was chosen as the title track for Stardust, an album of pop standards, to showcase Nelson’s versatility and appeal to a broader audience after his outlaw country success. Nelson recorded it early in the sessions, aiming to honor the song’s legacy while making it his own. In a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone, Nelson said: “I’ve always loved ‘Stardust’—it’s one of those songs that feels like it’s been around forever.” The track gained prominence through its inclusion in the 1978 television special Willie Nelson: Live from Austin, aired on PBS, featuring a live performance.
The song has a long history of covers, with notable versions by Bing Crosby in 1931 and Nat King Cole in 1957, both achieving chart success. Nelson’s take inspired later renditions, including a 1985 version by Merle Haggard on His Epic Hits 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 1988 film Rain Man, used in a scene depicting a reflective moment, and in a 2015 episode of American Horror Story, featured in a flashback.
Nelson included “Stardust” in his live sets, notably at the 1978 Fourth of July Picnic in Dripping Springs, Texas, where he performed 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 1987, Nelson’s benefit concert for farmers, and featured in a 2017 tribute concert, Willie Nelson: An Outlaw and a Classic, aired on CMT. The track remains a significant part of Nelson’s performances, often paired with other standards from the album.
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Lyric
Sometimes I wonder why I spend
The lonely night dreaming of a song
The melody haunts my reverie
And I am once again with youWhen our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation
Is in the stardust of a songBeside a garden wall
When stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale tells his fairy tale
A paradise where roses bloomThough I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love’s refrainThough I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love’s refrain