Loretta Lynn & Willie Nelson Sing About Mortality In 2016 Duet โLay Me Downโ
on May 02, 2024
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Loretta Lynn & Willie Nelson Only Recorded One Duet Together โ Itโs Called โLay Me Downโ
Loretta Lynn made history with her 2016 album, Full Circle. After its release, Full Circle became Lynnโs highest-charting album of all time when it debuted at the 19th spot on the Billboard 200 chart.
Full Circle contains some updated versions of Lynnโs classic songs and brand-new pieces written specifically for the album. One such song is โLay Me Down,โ which is truly unique because Willie Nelson sings it with Lynn as a duet.
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Although Lynn and Nelson were friends for years, โLay Me Downโ was the first song they recorded together. Despite this, Lynn told Exclaim they nailed the song on their first take:
โWillie looked at me and said, โI guess you know weโre going to have to go around the world with this and tour?โ and I said, โWillie, I ainโt goinโ!
Lynn heaped praise on her duet partner. She talked about why Nelson is known as an iconic singer.
โWillieโs a great writer and a great artist: you canโt miss who he is when he starts singing,โ she said. โThatโs what makes an artist.โ
Lynn debuted โLay Me Downโ in a music video with Nelson. Like many of the tracks on Full Circle, the song addresses mortality and how the narrators will finally find peace โwhen they lay [them] down.โ
Watch The Emotional Music Video For โLay Me Downโ Below
The music video for the song is simple, yet powerful. It shows Lynn in her dressing room while Nelson stands on the stage.
Finally, the two of them come together. They canโt stop smiling as they sing. You can see how much they admired each other, especially as they shared a hug to close the video.
Sadly, โLay Me Downโ was also the last duet Nelson and Lynn ever released.
Lynn passed away on October 4, 2022. Nelson released a touching statement, saying, โLoretta was a good friend and fantastically talented. She was a great writer, singer, and human being. Iโll miss her a lot.โ
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At Lynnโs memorial service on October 30, 2022, her granddaughter, Emmy Russell, and Nelsonโs son, Lukas, united to sing โLay Me Down.โ Their touching tribute later earned a Performance of the Year nomination from the CMT Music Awards.
You can watch Loretta Lynn and Willie Nelsonโs original performance of โLay Me Downโ in the video below.