"You Ask Me To" is a song written by

Billy Joe Shaver Billy Joe Shaver (August 16, 1939 – October 28, 2020) was an American outlaw country singer and songwriter, as well as an actor. Biography Shaver was born in Corsicana, Texas, and raised by his mother, Victory Watson Shaver. Until he was 12 ...

and

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

. It was originally recorded by Jennings on his 1973 album ''

Honky Tonk Heroes ''Honky Tonk Heroes'' is a country music album by Waylon Jennings, released in 1973 on RCA Victor. With the exception of "We Had It All", all of the songs on the album were written or co-written by Billy Joe Shaver. The album is considered an im ...

''. This record spent fifteen weeks on the Billboard country singles charts, reaching a peak of number eight. Shaver recorded his own version in 1977 titled "You Asked Me To" in the past tense for the album ''Gypsy Boy'', with special guest

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...

on guitar and vocals. "You Ask Me To" also appeared as the closing song on

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

's 1975 album ''

Promised Land The Promised Land ( he, הארץ המובטחת, translit.: ''ha'aretz hamuvtakhat''; ar, أرض الميعاد, translit.: ''ard al-mi'ad; also known as "The Land of Milk and Honey"'') is the land which, according to the Tanakh (the Hebrew ...

.'' It was recorded in December 1973 at Stax Records studios in Memphis and released on Presley's 40th birthday. It also appeared with an alternate arrangement in Elvis Presley's posthumous 1981 album ''Guitar Man'', which reached the Top 50 in the US.

Chart performance

Waylon Jennings version

Billy Joe Shaver version

References

{{Waylon Jennings 1973 singles Waylon Jennings songs Elvis Presley songs Billy Joe Shaver songs Songs written by Billy Joe Shaver Songs written by Waylon Jennings RCA Victor singles 1973 songs