About The Song
“The Scientist” is a song performed by Willie Nelson, released in 2011 as a single available for digital download, tied to the soundtrack for the short film Back to the Start, commissioned by Chipotle Mexican Grill. Written by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, and Chris Martin, the song was originally recorded by Coldplay in 2002 for their album A Rush of Blood to the Head, reaching No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Nelson’s version, a country-infused cover, was released on August 30, 2011, but did not chart, serving as a promotional track for the film promoting sustainable farming.
Nelson recorded the song in 2011 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Fred Mollin. The session featured The Family band, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Jody Payne on guitar, and Bobbie Nelson on piano, alongside ambient sounds like bird chirps, recorded to enhance the rustic feel of the film. The arrangement slows the original tempo, emphasizing Nelson’s weathered vocals, Raphael’s harmonica, and natural sound effects, aligning with the film’s theme. The song was not part of a full album release but was distributed as a digital single and included in the film’s soundtrack, with no specific sales certification available.
The song’s selection came from Chipotle’s request for Nelson to cover a meaningful track for Back to the Start, a four-minute animated film addressing industrial farming versus sustainable practices. Nelson chose “The Scientist” for its reflective lyrics about regret and renewal, resonating with the film’s narrative. In a 2011 interview with American Songwriter, Nelson said: “The song fit the story of going back to what’s right.” The track gained exposure through the film, which aired in theaters and online, amassing over 6 million views by 2012.
Covers of the song include Coldplay’s 2002 original and a 2003 acoustic version by A Perfect Circle. Nelson’s rendition inspired later covers, such as a 2014 version by The Fray on Helios, per available data. A live performance from a 2012 Farm Aid event was released online, and the song appeared in the 2011 film Back to the Start and a 2015 episode of Parenthood, used in a reflective scene. Nelson performed it at Farm Aid 2011, his benefit concert for farmers.
Nelson included “The Scientist” in select live sets, notably at the 2011 Farm Aid in Kansas City, Missouri. The song was featured in a 2016 Chipotle sustainability campaign and a 2019 documentary, Willie Nelson: Farm Songs, aired on PBS, exploring his agricultural advocacy. The track remains a niche piece in Nelson’s catalog, tied to his environmental messaging.
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Lyric
Come up to meet you, tell you I’m sorry
You don’t know how lovely you are
I had to find you, tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apartTell me your secrets and ask me your questions
Oh, let’s go back to the start
Running in circles, coming up tails
Heads on a science apartNobody said it was easy
It’s such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hardOh, take me back to the start
I was just guessing at numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart
Questions of science, science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heartTell me you love me, come back and haunt me
Oh, and I rush to the start
Running in circles, chasing our tails
Coming back as we areNobody said it was easy
It’s such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hardOh, take me back to the start