In the winter of the 1970s, Willie Nelson released Pretty Paper — a song many thought was just a tender holiday tune about a sidewalk vendor selling ribbons and bows at Christmastime. But for Willie, it was rooted in something achingly real. He had once seen a disabled man in Fort Worth, shivering in the cold, crawling along the sidewalk as shoppers hurried past. That haunting image never left him. Willie, who had known hardship himself — nights of hunger, sleeping in cars, and chasing gigs just to get by — carried that memory like frost on his soul. The lonely winters, the quiet struggles, and the forgotten faces pressed themselves into his music. That’s why Pretty Paper is more than just a Christmas song — it’s a prayer for compassion. For Willie Nelson, it was his way of honoring the unseen, turning sorrow into melody, and offering warmth to countless hearts each winter.
In the chill of the 1970s winter, Willie Nelson released a song that shimmered with...