They may just be three songwriting heavyweights sitting in an empty house, but that's all you need with a song like this. Rodney Crowell's new tune "It Ain't Over Yet" features stirring performances by John Paul White and Rosanne Cash.
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A standout from his new album, "It Ain't Over Yet" evokes the same kind of autobiographical lyrics that endeared him to many in the 1980s and beyond. The feature performance by Cash is particularly poignant, since the two shared a 13-year marriage and a whole lot of success together.
Much of "It Ain't Over Yet" seems to reference how the hard feelings of time soften with age. Or, as Crowell puts it, things look a bit different through "watery eyes."
John Paul White takes over duties on the chorus, delivering an impassioned performance. White is enjoying a successful solo career, but famously split inharmoniously with former Civil Wars bandmate Joy Williams.
By the time Rosanne Cash enters the picture, "It Ain't Over Yet" has the makings of an instant classic. Which, to be fair, Crowell knows a thing or two about.
You can catch the tune on his upcoming 15th solo studio album, Close Ties. Rodney Crowell calls it a bit of a "concept album," with a clear arc through his personal history. From growing up in Texas to traveling to Nashville to the passing of his dear friends Guy and Susanna Clark.