About The Song
“Mendocino County Line” is a duet performed by Willie Nelson and Lee Ann Womack, released in 2002 as a single from Nelson’s album The Great Divide on Lost Highway Records. Written by Matt Serletic and Bernie Taupin, the song draws inspiration from the Mendocino County region of California. The track peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in July 2002 and charted for 14 weeks. The 4:31 song tells a story of love and longing across a geographical divide, with lyrics like: “We met down on the Mendocino County line / Where the grapevines run wild and the sweet magnolias climb.”
The song was recorded in 2001 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, and additional sessions at Sound Stage Studios in Nashville, produced by Matt Serletic. The recording featured Nelson’s band, The Family, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica and Jody Payne on guitar, alongside Womack’s vocals and a string section arranged by Serletic. The arrangement blends country with pop elements, incorporating a lush string backdrop and Raphael’s harmonica, reflecting the song’s emotional narrative. The album The Great Divide reached No. 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 500,000 copies by 2004, earning gold certification from the RIAA. The track was released as the album’s lead single in May 2002.
The collaboration stemmed from Serletic’s vision to pair Nelson with contemporary artists, with Womack selected for her vocal harmony potential. The song’s lyrics were crafted by Taupin, known for his work with Elton John, marking a departure from Nelson’s usual songwriting partners. In a 2002 interview with Country Weekly, Nelson said: “Matt brought Lee Ann into it, and the song just came together with her voice.” The track gained visibility through its inclusion in the 2002 television special Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin’, aired on USA Network, featuring a live performance by the duo.
Covers of the song are limited, with a 2003 version by Vince Gill on Next Big Thing being a notable adaptation, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from the 2002 Farm Aid concert was released on the 2003 album Farm Aid: 17th Anniversary Concert. The song appeared in the 2004 film Friday Night Lights, used in a scene depicting a rural Texas landscape, and in a 2015 episode of Heartland, featured during a romantic storyline. Nelson and Womack performed it at the 2002 CMA Awards, where it earned a nomination for Vocal Event of the Year.
Nelson and Womack included “Mendocino County Line” in their joint appearances, notably at the 2002 Fourth of July Picnic in Fort Worth, Texas. A 2006 recording with Sheryl Crow was released on the album One Hell of a Ride, a career-spanning box set. The song was performed at Farm Aid 2003, Nelson’s benefit concert for farmers, and featured in a 2017 documentary, Willie Nelson: The Highwaymen & Beyond, aired on PBS, exploring his duets. The track remains part of Nelson’s live repertoire, often paired with other collaborative hits.
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Lyric
We met down on the Mendocino County line
Where the grapevines run wild and the sweet magnolias climb
I was a fool to let you go
But I couldn’t find a reason to make you stay
Now I’m standing in the shadows with a broken heartI’m lost in your love and the promise you made
The night you gave me your heart
And I’m living on a memory of the life we planned
Down on the Mendocino County lineThe seasons change and the years go by
But the memories linger on
The golden hills and the purple skies
Are calling me back home
I see your face in every dream I haveI’m lost in your love and the promise you made
The night you gave me your heart
And I’m living on a memory of the life we planned
Down on the Mendocino County lineWe met down on the Mendocino County line
Where the grapevines run wild and the sweet magnolias climb
I was a fool to let you go
But I couldn’t find a reason to make you stay
Now I’m standing in the shadows with a broken heartI’m lost in your love and the promise you made
The night you gave me your heart
And I’m living on a memory of the life we planned
Down on the Mendocino County line