Zac Brown Band tapped their Warner Music Nashville labelmate and fellow country star Cody Johnson for a new version of their song, “Wild Palomino.”
Penned by Jonathan Singleton, Ben Simonetti and Wyatt Beasley Durrette III, it opens with Johnson taking lead on the first verse and chorus, before lead vocalist Zac Brown delivers the next half of the song.
“You can’t put reins on a wild palomino / And you won’t see an old cowboy cry / Long as God’s still at church and hard work still works / And this collar on my shirt’s still blue / I’ll never stop loving you,” goes the ruminative and thought-provoking chorus.
The two then join in the powerful and heartbreaking bridge, where the persona confesses his unwavering love for his sweetheart, even if he can’t make her change her mind on leaving.
“I can’t change your mind, can’t change the weather / And if you need some time to run free/ I made you a promise for worse or for better / Even though missing you’s killing me,” they soar on the aching bridge.
While the remake maintains its original stripped-back instrumentation, it’s a standout because of the added emotional depth bolstered by Johnson’s distinctive vocal delivery.
“Wild Palomino” will be featured on the forthcoming deluxe version of ZBB’s album, The Comeback. Due out on September 30, the expansive 21-song collection will include “Out in the Middle“ with Blake Shelton, its original 15 tracks, as well as four brand-new ones.
Zac Brown Band’s “Out in the Middle” and Cody Johnson’s “Human” serve as their latest radio singles and are currently ascending up the Mediabase country chart.
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