Aaron Watson Duets With His Daughter on Moving Cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Never Grow Up’ [Listen]
Aaron Watson enlisted his daughter, Jolee Kate Watson, for a heartfelt father-daughter version of Taylor Swift's "Never Grow Up."
Swift originally released the tune on her 2010 Speak Now album (it's being re-released as a Taylor's Version this summer).
In the original song, the pop megastar sings from the perspective of a young adult who misses her childhood, but in Watson's version, he sings directly to his daughter while she sings along.
In an Instagram video, Watson says his daughter proposed that they record a Swift song for his forthcoming covers album, but he was hesitant at first, telling her, "I can't sing 'Shake It Off.'" When he found "Never Grow Up," however, it instantly stood out to him.
"I think in this song Taylor's kind of singing to a little girl from a big sister's perspective. I was like, 'I could actually sing this from a daddy's perspective,'" he says. "I remember singing it in the studio getting all choked up because my baby girl, she's growing up quick. It was really special to have her sing some harmonies on this."
"I have a feeling I'm going to be driving Jolee Kate's bus someday," he adds of his daughter's singing talent.
The song stays mostly true to the original, but with Watson's Texas-style country sound and acoustic guitar, fiddle, pedal steel and mandolin instrumentation. Watson's version does include a few lyrics changes, however, as he changes the perspective to singing to his own daughter.
Not only did Dad and Jolee record a song of Swift's, but the father-daughter duo recently attended Swift's Eras Tour in Arlington, Texas.
Watson released the song alongside a version of Roseanne Cash's "Seven Year Ache" with Jenna Paulette. Both songs will appear on his forthcoming album, Cover Girl.