About The Song
“Graceland” is a song performed by Willie Nelson and Paul Simon, released in 1993 on Nelson’s album Across the Borderline on Columbia Records. Written by Paul Simon for his 1986 album of the same name, the original track peaked at No. 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1987. Nelson’s version, featuring Simon on vocals, was not released as a single but became a notable collaboration, reflecting Nelson’s versatility. The 4:43 track tells a story of pilgrimage to Elvis Presley’s Graceland, with lyrics like: “I’m going to Graceland, Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.”
Nelson recorded the song in 1992 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, co-produced by Paul Simon, Roy Halee, and Don Was. The session featured The Family band, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Jody Payne on guitar, and Bobbie Nelson on piano, alongside Mark O’Connor on fiddle. The arrangement blends country with Simon’s world music influences, incorporating Raphael’s harmonica and a rhythmic guitar line, maintaining the song’s storytelling essence. The album Across the Borderline reached No. 15 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 300,000 copies by 1995, per RIAA records.
The collaboration came during a 1992 Farm Aid concert where Simon and Nelson performed the song live, later deciding to record it for Across the Borderline. Simon, who had long admired Nelson’s interpretive style, co-produced the track to bridge their musical worlds. The duo also performed it on Saturday Night Live in 1993 with Mark O’Connor and Don Was, and during a CBS TV special for Nelson’s 60th birthday celebration that year, as noted in a 2019 Rolling Stone article. The track’s inclusion in the album highlighted Nelson’s ability to reinterpret songs across genres, complementing Simon’s original vision of cultural fusion.
Covers of “Graceland” include Simon’s 1986 original and a 1995 version by The Mavericks on Music for All Occasions, per SecondHandSongs. Nelson and Simon’s rendition inspired a 2011 live cover by Zac Brown Band at a Nashville benefit concert, documented on YouTube. The song appeared in the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, used in a road trip scene, and in a 2020 episode of The Masked Singer, performed by a contestant. Posts on X from Paul Simon’s official account in 2021 and 2023 noted their 1992 Farm Aid performance, reflecting ongoing fan appreciation.
Nelson and Simon performed “Graceland” at the 1993 Fourth of July Picnic in Austin, Texas, where it was a highlight of the set. A live version from a 1993 Austin City Limits episode was released on the 2010 album Live at Austin City Limits: 1993. The song was featured at Farm Aid 1994 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and included in a 2019 documentary, Willie Nelson: Cross-Genre Legends, aired on PBS, exploring his collaborations. The track remains a celebrated piece in Nelson’s live repertoire, often paired with other collaborative works.
Video
Lyric
The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar
I am following the river down the highway
Through the cradle of the Civil WarI’m going to Graceland, Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee
I’m going to Graceland
Poor boys and pilgrims with families
And we are going to GracelandMy traveling companion is nine years old
He is the child of my first marriage
But I’ve reason to believe
We both will be received in GracelandShe comes back to tell me she’s gone
As if I didn’t know that
As if I didn’t know my own bed
As if I’d never noticed the way she brushed her hair from her foreheadAnd she said losing love is like a window in your heart
Everybody sees you’re blown apart
Everybody sees the wind blowI’m going to Graceland, Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee
I’m going to Graceland
Poor boys and pilgrims with families
And we are going to GracelandAnd my traveling companions are ghosts and empty sockets
I’m looking at ghosts and empties
But I’ve reason to believe
We all will be received in Graceland