January 16, 2026      —–     Chart #334

Hello Music Friends,

Hey folks, welcome to another edition of Chart of the Week. Every once in a while, a song shows up that feels like a deep breath of clean Texas air — the kind you only get standing somewhere between Houston humidity and Hill Country limestone. Oh, What a Beautiful World is one of those rare tunes that doesn’t just land in your ears… it straightens your posture, softens your shoulders, and reminds you that the planet is still a pretty decent place to hang your hat. Leave it to Rodney Crowell — one of Houston’s finest exports and a certified Texas treasure — to deliver a song that feels like hope with a backbeat.

Crowell has written harder songs, funnier songs, and more complicated songs, but he’s never written a more grateful one. This is Rodney in his wiser years, looking around, looking back, and looking forward all at once — with that gentle grin that says, “Yep, I’ve seen a thing or two… and I’m still here.”

The Backstory

Oh, What a Beautiful World appears on Crowell’s 2001 album The Houston Kid, a record overflowing with autobiography, confession, and clear-eyed reflection. It’s one of the great Texas singer-songwriter albums — right up there with Guy Clark’s Dublin Blues, Lyle Lovett’s Pontiac, and anything Townes ever scribbled on a napkin.

Where some tracks on The Houston Kid grapple with the rougher parts of Crowell’s upbringing, Oh, What a Beautiful World is the exhale — the part where gratitude wins out over memory, love beats fear, and the songwriter who lived through the storm sits down and says, “You know what? Life turned out okay.”

The Recording

Crowell recorded the album in Nashville with a lineup of players who knew how to give songs room to breathe. Nothing overplayed, nothing exaggerated — just the kind of tasteful musicianship that Texas and Tennessee both appreciate.

Players on the broader Houston Kid sessions included:

• Rodney Crowell – vocals, guitar, songwriting
• Steuart Smith – guitar (later of the Eagles)
• Michael Rhodes – bass
• Kenny Malone – percussion
• Benmont Tench – keyboards (from Tom Petty’s Heartbreakers)

These aren’t just musicians — they’re the kind of players who can make a single chord sound like wisdom.

Chart Performance

• The Houston Kid wasn’t a chart monster, but it became a critic’s darling
• The album revived Crowell’s career and reminded the world that Texas songwriters age like fine bourbon
• “Oh, What a Beautiful World” became a fan favorite and still sits comfortably among his most-loved songs

Crowell has never been a chart chaser — he’s a truth teller. And this song has the kind of truth people return to.

Fun Facts

• Crowell grew up in East Houston, surrounded by honky-tonks, hard living, and a mother who prayed he’d choose a different path. Luckily, he chose guitar.
• He’s written hits for Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, Rosanne Cash, and even Bob Seger — not bad for a kid from Jacinto City.
• Rodney is one of the few songwriters who can write something razor-sharp one minute and tender enough to make a grown man pause at a stoplight the next.
• The Houston Kid is full of autobiographical details, but Oh, What a Beautiful World stands out because it feels like the “after” picture.

What’s It Really About?

Gratitude. Simple as that.

It’s about noticing the small stuff — the kind of ordinary beauty you skip over when life gets noisy.
It’s about understanding where you came from, but choosing joy anyway.
It’s about survival, grace, memory, forgiveness, and that tender feeling that sneaks up on you during a quiet morning when the coffee smells just right.

Rodney Crowell has written more complicated songs — but none more centered.

Playing the Song

This is a perfect acoustic tune — gentle chords, straightforward strumming, and lots of emotional space. Play it on a Taylor or Martin acoustic, keep the rhythm soft, and let Crowell’s melody do the heavy lifting.

This is one of those songs where less is more. Play it honestly, and the beauty shows up on its own.

Why It Lasts

Because it whispers instead of shouting.
Because it’s grounded in truth.
Because Texas songwriters have a way of packing decades of living into four minutes without making it feel heavy.

And because sometimes — especially in January, especially at the start of a new year — it helps to be reminded that despite everything, the world is still a pretty beautiful place.

Keep Rockin’,

Stan Bradshaw