COVID-19 took an American treasure from us on Tuesday, as John Prine lost his weeks-long battle with the virus. Tributes have poured in from across the entertainment landscape, including from Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, who delivered a special one during his family’s nightly Instagram livestream.
With his sons Spencer and Sammy singing backup, Tweedy covered Prine’s “Please Don’t Bury Me” off the 1973 album Sweet Revenge. The late folk legend once described the song as “the best organ donor campfire song I know” (via Genius), and Tweedy acknowledged the lyrics might be a little silly in the face of the real tragedy. “Probably a little bit inappropriate, but celebratory as well, I hope,” Tweedy said.
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But Prine was as beloved for his sweet sense of humor as his peerless songwriting, so something tells us he’d appreciate the Tweedys’ choice of tribute. Watch the performance below.
