Filled with wit and warmth, "In Spite Of Ourselves" is one of John Prine's most beloved songs. And we have a Billy Bob Thornton movie to thank for it. Prine wrote the tune for the film Daddy and Them, written, directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton.
During a Live from Sessions at West 54th performance, Prine recalled writing the song and appearing in the flick, which also starred Laura Dern, Jamie Lee Curtis and Andy Griffith.
"I was in a movie last year...me and Billy Bob Thornton play brothers in it and Andy Griffith is our dad. That makes me like Opie's stepbrother," Prine said, showing off his trademark humor.
Prine and DeMent reunited for a 2016 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC to perform the song once again.
Meyers was especially excited about the performance, and gushed that he had even brought his parents to the show recording. It turns out Seth actually grew up listening to John Prine's work.
Prine and DeMent began their two-song set with "Whose Gonna Take the Garbage Out," which appears on Prine's new album, For Better, Or Worse. They followed it up with a performance "In Spite of Ourselves," the title track of their 1999 duet album, just for old times' sake.
Even though Prine's voice has gravelly and a bit ragged throughout the years -- in part due to his bouts with cancer -- it still carries that sincere wit that has made John Prine the respected legend he is.
Prine's album For Better, Or Worse features duets with a number of other talented female vocalists, including Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack.
This post was originally published on November 2, 2016, but we've republished it in honor of John Prine.
