Willie Nelson – “Do You Realize??” (The Flaming Lips Cover)
Willie Nelson — who, it’s worth reiterating, is 91 fucking years old — will share his 153rd album Last Leaf On The Tree this November. He’s put out a whole lot of original music over the years, and he’s switching it up on this album with a handful of covers. One of those covers is the Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize??,” which you can hear today.
Nelson’s rendition of “Do You Realize??” doesn’t quite hit that same anthemic quality of the original recording, but it has a warm and rootsy atmosphere that makes it feel special in its own right. The Flaming Lips, naturally, are stoked about it. In a commentary video accompanying the song, Wayne Coyne said:
It’s one of those dreams-come-true that you didn’t even have a dream for. It’s absolutely beautiful. Maybe we’re not allowed to say that so much because it’s our song, but it’s just absolutely beautiful… It’s just an utter joy. There’s no other meaning that he brings to it. Probably brings more meaning to it than we do.
Watch that video and listen to Nelson’s “Do You Realize??” below.
Last Leaf On The Tree is out 11/1 on Sony.