Remember When: Willie Nelson Covered Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind”

Is there anything Willie Nelson can’t do? He has covered songs from a variety of genres including rock, folk, and of course, country. In 2018, he took on a big band classic: Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind.” His country rendition of this austere ballad was surprisingly apt. Though, on paper, it seems like this pairing wouldn’t work, in practice it was practically perfect. Revisit the moment, below.

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Remember When: Willie Nelson Covered Frank Sinatra’s “Summer Wind”

The summer wind came blowin’ in from across the sea
It lingered there to touch your hair and walk with me
All summer long, we sang a song
And then we strolled that golden sand
Two sweethearts and the summer wind

In Sinatra’s version, he pairs soaring high notes with polished instrumentation. Nelson didn’t shy away from the big band feel entirely, but he made sure to add something only he could. He opens up the song with a near-spoken word delivery. It’s something that he has made use of time and time again in his own offerings.

This cover was taken from Nelson’s tribute to Sinatra, My Way. It’s just one of many stellar renditions on this somewhat unexpected album. The live version is even better than what Nelson got on tape. Our personal favorite moment came as Nelson picked out the melody to “Summer Wind” on his trusty guitar, Trigger.

“They’re all a challenge to me,” Nelson once said of covering Sinatra. “There’s nothing easy about any of ’em, especially if you’re doing a Sinatra song. I mean, he’s got millions of fans out there who are gonna be listening, and wondering how you’re gonna do. You’re always uncertain, but I feel fairly confident that I did the best I could do.”

Revisit this powerful Nelson cover from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, below.

Like painted kites
Those days and nights they went flyin’ by
The world was new beneath a blue umbrella sky
Then softer than a piper man
One day it called to you
I lost you, I lost you to the summer wind

The autumn wind and the winter winds
They have come and gone
And still the days, those lonely days, they go on and on
And guess who sighs his lullabies
Through nights that never end
My fickle friend, the summer wind

(Photo by Scott Moore/Shutterstock)