3 Hits That Came Out of Getting High with Willie Nelson

Willie Nelson has inspired countless musicians, not only through his songwriting but through the stories that follow him everywhere he goes. Among those stories, one theme shows up again and again: the haze-filled adventures artists claim to have shared with him. His reputation as country music’s most legendary smoking partner has grown so large that it’s become part of his myth.

Plenty of artists have joked about trying to keep up with him, and some have even immortalized the experience in song. These tracks aren’t just tributes to Nelson’s easygoing vibe—they’re snapshots of wide-eyed encounters where music and marijuana blurred into one unforgettable moment. Each one adds another layer to the folklore that’s been built around him for decades.

This article highlights three of those songs—tracks that emerged from hazy hangouts and musicians admitting that time spent with Nelson often led to something worth recording. They celebrate the strange magic of passing a joint with a country icon and how those moments, real or embellished, managed to spark some pretty memorable hits.

“Willie Got Me Stoned and Stole All of My Money” – Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson’s run-in with Willie Nelson started as a simple poker game and turned into a story he couldn’t resist turning into a song. The laid-back singer-songwriter admitted he had no idea what kind of night he was walking into when he sat down at the table with Nelson during a Farm Aid weekend. After losing every hand, he turned the whole misadventure into a playful tune with an even more playful title.

What makes the track entertaining isn’t the idea of Nelson actually stealing anything—it’s Johnson admitting he probably had no business gambling with someone who has spent decades playing cards on tour buses and backstage rooms. The song captures that blend of humility and humor that defines so many of Johnson’s recordings, turning a personal loss into a musical win.

The result became a fan favorite, especially at Farm Aid, where Johnson still performs it as a good-natured nod to the man who unintentionally cleaned him out. It doubles as a tribute to Nelson’s place in the broader music community—a figure everyone seems to have at least one unbelievable story about. This one just happened to rhyme.

“Weed With Willie” – Toby Keith

Toby Keith’s tale came from a night in Las Vegas that quickly spiraled beyond anything he expected. He joined Nelson for a smoke session before Charles Barkley’s birthday celebration, assuming he could hold his own. According to Keith, that confidence evaporated almost instantly. Whatever Nelson handed him was stronger than anything he’d experienced, and he spent the rest of the evening trying to stay upright.

Keith later recounted the moment with the same mix of disbelief and self-deprecation that fuels many of his funniest songs. He joked that he “couldn’t even function,” a line that ended up perfectly summing up the whole experience. It didn’t take long before the misadventure found its way into a recording booth.

The resulting track, “Weed With Willie,” became one of the most quoted and replayed entries in Keith’s catalog. Fans love it not just because it’s wild, but because it feels like the kind of story people pass around backstage—honest, chaotic, and delivered with a wink. And as with most tales involving Nelson, Keith walked away with a hit even if the night itself knocked him out.

“Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die” – Willie Nelson ft. Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson & Jamey Johnson

This track sits in a different category because it isn’t about getting high with Willie Nelson—it’s by Willie Nelson, joined by artists who’ve shared more than a few smoky memories with him. Written with Buddy Cannon and Rich Alves, the song captures Nelson’s unmistakable mix of humor, philosophy, and counterculture spirit. Released on his 2012 album Heroes, it became one of his standout songs of the decade.

Featuring Snoop Dogg, Jamey Johnson, and Kris Kristofferson, the recording feels like a campfire session with friends who know each other well. Every voice adds a different flavor, but they all orbit around Nelson’s laid-back presence. It’s a perfect fit for the album, which blended reverence for tradition with open-armed collaboration.

Listeners embraced the track as both a celebration of Nelson’s identity and a reminder of how central he remains to the musical worlds that overlap around him. Even without telling a literal story of getting high with Nelson, the song carries the spirit of those hazy gatherings he’s famous for. And with that lineup, it’s hard to imagine the studio air being anything but clouded.