Willie Nelson + Keith Richards Sing Reasons To Quit

This song was written by country legend Merle Haggard in 1983 and sung alongside the legendary Willie Nelson. But in this week’s edition of Music City Archives, we’re heading back to the Bridgestone Area in Nashville, when Keith Richards joined Nelson on stage for a refreshing 2017 spin of Reasons To Quit.

Haggard wrote this tune nearly 40 years ago all about giving up smoking and drinking, reaching #6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
Reasons to quit
The smoke and booze don’t do me like before
And I’m hardly ever sober
My old friends don’t come ’round much anymore
Reasons to quit
The low is always lower than the high
And the reasons to quit
Don’t outnumber all the reasons why

[Chorus]
So we keep smokin’ and we keep drinkin’
Havin’ fun and never thinkin’
Laughin’ at the price tag that we pay
And we keep roarin’ down the fast lane
Like two young men feelin’ no pain
And the reason for quittin’s gettin’ bigger each day

[Verse 2]
Reasons to quit
I can’t afford the habit all the time
I need to be sober
I need to write some new songs that will rhyme
Reasons to quit
They have no rhyme or reason when you’re high
And the reasons to quit
Don’t outnumber all the reasons why

[Instrumental Break]

[Chorus]
And we keep smokin’, we keep drinkin’
Havin’ fun, never thinkin’
And laughin’ at the price tag that we pay
And we keep roarin’ down the fast lane
Like two young men feelin’ no pain
And the reason for quittin’s gettin’ bigger each day
And the reason for quittin’s gettin’ bigger each day