Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” is the lead single off his 2013 studio album “Southeastern” and it was nothing short of the Grammy award-winning artist’s songwriting prowess. The stripped-down track was a retelling of the early days of his romance with fiddle player Amanda Shires whom he married two days after finishing the whole record.
In an interview with NPR, Jason Isbell revealed that “Cover Me Up” was not an easy song to write. He said that it was hard to get through the first time without breaking down because it was really personal. It wasn’t easy for him to sit down and open himself up and translate those feelings of how much he loved her into words.
And that honesty and vulnerability played just right into the song flooring listeners. Not to mention that this song also covered his recovery from his longtime substance abuse issues. And it’s fair to say that this is one of the Jason Isbell songs that significantly tipped up his following. Cover Me Up by Jason Isbell also bagged the 2014 Song of the Year award at the Americana Music Association Awards.
And despite it being a very personal song, it has been covered by other country artists, including Morgan Wallen. Wallen released it as a single for his 2021 album “Dangerous: The Double Album” alongside a short film. The cover version shot the song back into the charts earning Isbell royalties which he donated to Nashville’s National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up” is probably the truest love song he would ever write. Watch Jason perform the song live and feel all the vulnerability and strength of a true love.
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Jason Isbell