“Just Breathe” by Willie Nelson

Few would attempt to improve on the unique sound of Pearl Jam lead vocalist Eddie Vedder — but country music legend Willie Nelson felt suited to the challenge. The result is “Just Breathe,” a touching duet with Nelson’s son that expands the tune’s themes of love and impermanence to encompass the father-son relationship. As the duo sings in the opening lines:

Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh-huh
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh-huh
Oh I’m a lucky man, to count on both hands the ones I love
Some folks just have one, yeah, others, they’ve got none, uh-huh

The music video for “Just Breathe” pictures Nelson and his youthful counterpart – who heads his own rock band, Promise of the Real — driving down country roads and hanging out in bars and restaurants. Nelson has fathered eight children throughout his life, and his interactions with Lukas Nelson, the son of his fourth and current wife, bring a bittersweet poignancy to some of the lines:

Practiced are my sins, never gonna let me win, uh-huh
Under everything, just another human being, uh-huh

Nelson released “Just Breathe” on his 2012 album “Heroes,” which featured tracks with Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dog and other collaborators in addition to his son. Vedder was flattered by Nelson’s cover, calling him up to say how honored he felt and labeling it “the best contribution to music so far,” according to Loudwire. The original version of “Just Breathe,” which Pearl Jam released on its 2009 album Backspacer, had been the band’s highest-charting follow-up single in a decade.

It’s hard not to view the 87-year-old Nelson’s version in light of his role as a father, arranging a new perspective around the lines “Stay with me … let’s just breathe.”

You can watch the official video for Nelson’s “Just Breathe” below.