About The Song
“The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” is a song performed by Willie Nelson, released in 1982 as a single from his album Always on My Mind on Columbia Records. Written by Gary P. Nunn, Don Wayne, and Donna Farar, the song was originally recorded by John Anderson, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1981. Nelson’s version peaked at No. 1 on the same chart on March 6, 1982, and charted for 16 weeks. The 4:22 track laments a series of misfortunes starting with a troubled love affair, with lyrics like: “The last thing I needed first thing this morning / Was to have you walk out on me.”
Nelson recorded the song in 1981 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Willie Nelson and Chips Moman. 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 Moman. The arrangement blends country with a touch of pop, featuring Raphael’s harmonica and a lush string backdrop, reflecting the album’s polished sound. Always on My Mind reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 4 million copies by 1986, earning quadruple platinum certification from the RIAA. The track was released as the album’s second single, following the title track.
The song was selected for the album after Nelson heard Anderson’s version, prompting him to record his own take with a slower tempo to emphasize its emotional weight. Nelson drew on the song’s narrative of daily struggles to connect with his own experiences, aligning it with the album’s theme of love and loss. In a 1982 interview with Country Music magazine, Nelson said: “It’s about waking up to bad news, and that hits close to home sometimes.” The track gained additional exposure through its inclusion in the 1982 television special Willie Nelson: The Big Six-O, filmed to celebrate his career milestone.
Covers of the song include a 1981 version by John Anderson on I Just Came Home to Count the Memories and a 1983 rendition by The Oak Ridge Boys on Deliver, per SecondHandSongs. A live performance from a 1982 Austin City Limits episode was released on the 2006 album Live at Austin City Limits. The song appeared in the 1990 film Postcards from the Edge, used in a scene depicting a country singer’s life struggles, and in a 2018 episode of Yellowstone, highlighting a rancher’s morning routine. Nelson recorded a duet version with Merle Haggard in 1987 for Seashores of Old Mexico.
Nelson included “The Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning” in his live sets, notably at the 1982 Fourth of July Picnic in South Fork, Colorado, where he played it with Waylon Jennings. The song was performed at Farm Aid 1985, Nelson’s benefit concert for farmers, and featured in a 2015 tribute concert, Willie Nelson: Outlaw Country Legends, aired on CMT. A 2003 recording with Toby Keith was released on the album The Willie Nelson & Friends: Live and Kickin’. The track remains a recurring piece in Nelson’s performances, often paired with other hits from Always on My Mind.
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Lyric
The last thing I needed first thing this morning
Was to have you walk out on me
The last thing I needed last night
Was to have to beg you to stayI’ve been wakin’ up to “I got hung over”
And “honey, you forgot again”
The last thing I needed was for you to start
Cryin’ and say we’re throughThe last thing I needed first thing this morning
Was to have you tell me it’s over
It’s not a good time for this to end
My heart and I agreeThe last thing I needed was to hear
That you’ve found you somebody new
And the last thing I needed first thing this morning
Was to have to tell myself we’re through