Willie Nelson wrote ‘On the Road Again’ in 1980 after being asked for a song about touring for the film *Honeysuckle Rose*, in which he starred. The idea reportedly came to him during a flight with the film’s director, Jerry Schatzberg, and producer Sydney Pollack, showing how quickly a simple prompt became one of his signature songs.

Nelson began with the lyric and title before having a melody, saying the words “started to click” when Pollack suggested the subject. He completed the tune shortly before recording it, and the song became a number one country hit, helping to define both the film soundtrack and Nelson’s wider career.