Few artists can transform another act’s well-known song into something distinctly their own quite like Willie Nelson can. The accomplished singer-songwriter shows off that uncomparable skill with his surprising new single, “Do You Realize??”
Released today (Sept. 19), the beloved 91-year-old musical legend transforms the track made famous by psych-rock group The Flaming Lips. The quirky electro-pop song served as the lead single from the Lips’ 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots and marked one of the group’s biggest commercial successes. For his rendition, Nelson strips away the layered electronic soundscape, shifting a new spotlight onto the reflective, sometimes melancholy lyrics.
“He’s just such a unique singer,” The Flaming Lips’ lead singer Wayne Coyne shares of Nelson in a statement. “You hear one second of his voice, and you go, that’s him.”
His son, Micah, who also served as producer on the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s upcoming album, joins Nelson on backing vocals. Last Leaf on the Tree, set for release on Nov. 1 via Legacy Recordings, features a mix of surprising covers, familiar favorites, and original tracks. Micah Nelson says the recording process offered a chance to introduce his father to a fresh batch of songs from other artists, which helped light sparks of creative inspiration.
“A lot of these songs he’d never heard before I played them for him, so he had no memories or history with them,” Micah says. “There was a cool moment when I think my dad realized how meaningful these songs were to a whole new audience he wasn’t aware of. I was playing some new mixes and my cousin Trevor came over right when we were listening to ‘Do You Realize??,’ and he totally freaked out. That really fired my dad up! I felt this energy shift in him about the whole project.”
Listen to “Do You Realize??” below:
