The legendary Willie Nelson is paying homage to another outlaw country legend in a new studio album out Friday, November 7. Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle will contain 11 tracks on which Nelson reinterprets Merle Haggard's classic songs. The first single, "Workin’ Man Blues," is out now.

Even Nelson's own publicity team uses Texas Monthly's "All Willie Nelson Albums Ranked" list to count the number of albums he's put out so far — this makes his 155th album and his 78th solo studio album.

Given that volume of output, it's not a surprise that Nelson is releasing more covers; in the last decade, he's released cover albums including works by Harlan Howard, Ray Price, George Gershwin, and Frank Sinatra. His most recent album, out March 12, 2025, was Oh What A Beautiful World, a 12-song collection of Rodney Crowell tunes. Nelson and Crowell have a long history, but this new album makes a much more obvious connection.

Nelson and Haggard have already released three collaborative albums: the famous Pancho and Lefty from 1983, plus 2007’s Last Of The Breed (also including Ray Price) and 2015’s Django and Jimmie.

The pair met at a poker game in the early 60s, Nelson told Rolling Stone in an interview reminiscing on their 50-year friendship a week after Haggard's death. They toured together, stayed together while recording, tried a 10-day juice cleanse, and grew old enough to see their relationships with their own feelings change, performing them with a new sense of irony.

Specifically, Nelson was speaking of Haggard's famous song “Okie From Muskogee," which Haggard once said "was the photograph that I took of the way things looked through the eyes of a fool. I was just as dumb as a rock at about that time, and most of America was under the same assumptions I was." It seems Nelson is still fond of the famous tune, which made the cut for Workin' Man.

As the title suggests, so does 1969's “Workin’ Man Blues." Nelson certainly is living up to the lyrics, still working at age 92 — but presumably not feeling blue enough about it to stop.

Each song on the album is one of Nelson's favorites. The full track list is as follows:

• 1. Workin’ Man Blues
• 2. Silver Wings
• 3. Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
• 4. Today I Started Loving You Again
• 5. Swinging Doors
• 6. Okie From Muskogee
• 7. Mama Tried
• 8. I Think I’ll Just Stay Here And Drink
• 9. Somewhere Between
• 10. If We Make It Through December
• 11. Ramblin’ Fever

Workin' Man was recorded at Nelson’s Pedernales Studios, and was produced by Nelson and Mickey Raphael, a member of Willie Nelson and Family since 1973. These recordings are the final ones featuring Family band members, his sister Bobbie Nelson, and late drummer Paul English.

Nelson was also featured in a documentary about Haggard that premiered August 29 at the Telluride Film Festival. Directed by Ethan Hawke, Highway 99: A Double Album followed Haggard's entire career, specifically focusing on how he escaped a life of Dust Bowl poverty.

"When [Haggard] died, I know Willie Nelson sent out a group email to all his musician friends reminding people that one of the greatest songwriters who ever lived just passed and that he had more hits than Willie [Nelson], Johnny [Cash], and Dolly [Parton] combined," Hawke told Deadline. "And just how rare it is that somebody could pick and sing and write like Merle Haggard could. Willie said, "Usually God is more democratic than that."'"

Nelson is embarking on the final leg of his Outlaw Music Festival 10th Anniversary Tour, starting September 5. The tour has already moved through Texas, skipping Austin. On September 20, Nelson will headline the 40th annual Farm Aid concert in Minneapolis. Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, Margo Price, Billy Strings, and Nathanial Rateliff are also on the bill, among others.

Preorders for Workin’ Man: Willie Sings Merle on vinyl and CD are available now at willienelson.com.