Singer-songwriter Gillian Welch and her musical partner David Rawlings are slated to perform the song “When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs at this year’s Academy Awards. But, if you happen to have plans on the evening of February 24, you can hear their lovely, sun-baked version of the Oscar-nominated song right now.
According to Variety, Welch and Rawlings—who penned the song for the Coen Brothers’ Netflix-released film—have been performing the song during their live shows over the past year, but haven’t been actively campaigning for the song to win the big award (and, hey, why should they when Elton John’s out here telling everyone “Shallow” has it in the bag?)
“The more peculiar restraints you put upon a song, the more fun it is. So this was kind of a dream assignment,” Welch told Variety back in November. “[The Coens] didn’t tell us to do this, but if you’re writing a gunfight song between two cowboys, who wouldn’t love the opportunity to put some yodeling in.”
While we’d be just as happy seeing Tim Blake Nelson and Willie Watson performing their rendition from the film, it’ll be a treat to see the legendary Welch headline the stage on Hollywood’s biggest night.
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