The cover song you didn’t know you needed.
When you think of timeless music, one of the songs at the top of the list is “The Weight,” which was originally released and performed by the Canadian rock band, The Band. The group was considered “country rock” back in the 1960s, and this song (which is arguably their most popular) was a fusion of southern folk, country, and gospel.
It’s had an outstanding shelf life in its own right, and that’s been helped by the numerous covers of the song that have been released over the years. Artists from across all genres can count on a crowd knowing “The Weight,” so it’s also often performed at festivals and other venues where music fans might be looking for a familiar tune to sing along to.
One of the places that happened was Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic back in 2015. It was there where Eric Church and Chris Stapleton teamed up on stage, and with a little help from Morgane Stapleton and Joanna Cotten, they blew the metaphorical roof off of the place with their collective cover of The Band’s classic 1968 hit song.
In this fan video, Eric Church got things started singing the song’s iconic first verse. Then slowly but surely, the other artists made their way out onto the stage to join the Chief. The combination of Church and Stapleton’s vocals are a match made in heaven, and it’s all tied together with the excerpts of the song performed by Morgane Stapleton and Joanna Cotten.
Church has historically loved to play “The Weight,” and has even done so at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium. However, it seemed like he and Stapleton really brought it with this performance, which is somehow almost a decade old. We’re as close to this performance in 2015 as we are to 2033. How’s that make you feel?
Instead of thinking too much about it, just go ahead and fire up this rocking cover:
