| "Bloody Mary Morning" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Willie Nelson | ||||
| from the album Phases and Stages | ||||
| B-side | "After the Fire Is Gone" (with Tracy Nelson) | |||
| Released | February 1974 | |||
| Recorded | September 1973 | |||
| Genre | Country, country rock, bluegrass | |||
| Length | 2:48 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Willie Nelson | |||
| Producer(s) | Jerry Wexler | |||
| Willie Nelson singles chronology | ||||
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| Audio sample | ||||
"Bloody Mary Morning" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Willie Nelson. Nelson wrote the song inspired by his struggles to become a "better parent". It was originally released in the 1970 RCA Records release Both Sides Now with the title "Bloody Merry Morning".
During a party in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1972, Nelson performed the song along with others he planned to include on an upcoming concept album. Nelson impressed another guest at the party, Atlantic Records vice-president Jerry Wexler. Wexler offered him a contract to be a part of the new country music division of Atlantic, which Nelson accepted after ending his unsuccessful run with RCA.
"Bloody Mary Morning" was included in Nelson's concept album Phases and Stages, where the meaning of the song was shifted by the context of the album, changing the theme to a man who is left by his wife. Released as a single, it peaked at number 17 in Billboard's Country singles in 1974, later becoming an essential part of Nelson's live performances repertoire.