Kris Kristofferson wrote “Sunday Morning Comin’ Down” for Johnny Cash and played Whistler in Blade. He is one of American music’s great living badasses, and he’s contributed a new cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” the the soundtrack of Texas Rising, a new History Channel miniseries about Texas’ struggle for independence. In the miniseries, Kristofferson also plays President Andrew Jackson, a man who — historically speaking, at least — could’ve stood to do a little more backing down. Kristofferson’s version of the song would’ve been hopelessly middle-of-the-road if literally anyone else had been singing it, but that man has a voice that tells some stories. Check out the video, which combines footage of Kristofferson in the studio with scenes from Texas Rising, below.

Texas Rising debuts 5/25 at 9PM eastern on the History Channel.