John Prine Teams With Amanda Shires, Jason Isbell for ‘God Only Knows’ [LISTEN]
As John Prine prepares to release his new LP The Tree of Forgiveness, he has shared a new song from the project, "God Only Knows." For this track, Prine brought in some extra reinforcements in the form of musical powerhouse couple Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, who lend some gentle harmonies to the chorus. Readers can press play above to check out the lyric video for the new track.
The tune follows Prine's classic songwriting style, casual and straighforward, sending a simple but powerful message of personal accountability and responsibility, the lyrics layered over a rootsy, acoustic guitar line.
"God only knows / The price that you pay / For the ones that you hurt / Along the way / If I should betray / Myself today / God only know the price I pay," the song begins, sweeping into the chorus where Isbell and Shires join Prine in harmony. Isbell lends his slide guitar work to the tune and Shires pitches in some fiddle before the bridge, which is Prine's rendition of the classic children's bedtime prayer, "Now I lay me down to sleep."
The Tree of Forgiveness is set for release on April 13. It is Prine's first album of solo work in 13 years. The artist shared the first single off the album, "Summer's End," in February.
Prine has also announced an extensive tour schedule across the globe for 2018; he'll share the stage with artists such as Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price and Langhorne Slim, among others. Concert ticket purchases include a download of The Tree of Forgiveness.
Who Else Is Releasing New Music in 2018?