A Legendary Song Gains Its “Wings”
Merle Haggard‘s “Silver Wings” is one of his signature songs. He originally released it in 1969, and it took on a legendary status that it maintains to this day.
Listening to Silver Wings by Merle reminds me of my PaPaw. He loved that song and looked a lot like Merle Haggard. I miss him 🙁
— Emily Lovette (@brew_emily) November 10, 2017
Of course, “Silver Wings” wasn’t Haggard’s only iconic song. In 1999 he gathered together 43 of his greatest hits and placed them all on one album, called For the Record: 43 Legendary Hits.
The album featured re-recordings of his old songs, including one of “Silver Wings.”
For the album, Haggard partnered up with other country stars to create unique new recordings. Artists such as Willie Nelson, Brooks & Dunn, and Alabama all signed on to lend their voices to the tracks on the album.
Joining Forces With Jewel
When it came time to pick someone to sing with him on “Silver Wings,” Haggard paired up with folk singer Jewel, who released her Top 10 hit “Hands” the year prior.
The folk princess also joined “The Hag” on stage to sing their newly-created version of “Silver Wings.” We never thought that “Silver Wings” could be a duet before we heard Haggard and Jewel sing it, but it really works.
Haggard and Jewel’s voices were the perfect complement to one another. Jewel’s sweet, smooth voice served as a beautiful contrast to Haggard’s deeper, raw tone. When you hear the two of them sing this together, you’ll swear that this is how “Silver Wings” was always meant to be.
It’s always nice when you’re watching YouTube and Silver Wings by Mighty Merle Haggard and @jeweljk comes on. I still miss Merle, the poet of the common man.
— Matilda Harden (@Matilda_Harden) February 17, 2018
Tune in below to watch Haggard and Jewel’s stunning duet on “Silver Wings.” We can’t get enough of it, and you won’t be able to either!
