NEM#235: Willie Nile’s Poetic Rock Anthems

New York singer-songwriter Willie has released sixteen albums since 1980. He has opened for The Who and Bruce Springsteen, among others, but rejected the major label life after his first two albums.

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We discuss “An Irish Goodbye” (feat. Paul Brady) from The Great Yellow Light (2025) (and listen at the end to “Wake Up, America” feat. Steve Earle from that album), “Cell Phones Ringing (In the Pockets of the Dead)” from Streets of New York (2006), and the title track from Places I Have Never Been (1991) (co-written with Richard Chertoff and Jim Cobb). Intro music: “Vagabond Moon” from Willie Nile (1980).

Hear all of “Vagabond Moon.” Watch “Cell Phones” ringing live, and “Places I Have Never Been” live. Watch the video for “Wake Up, America.” Watch Willie on Letterman in 1991. Watch him solo acoustic, and he sings solo piano ballads too.

We mention Willie’s collaborations with The Hooters: Here’s Willie’s new version of “Washington’s Day,” and The Hooters’ old version. He just co-wrote their new song “Pendulum”; here he is performing it with them.

Here’s that interview about Irish cultural influence with Larry Kirwan that we mentioned.

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