The Meaning Behind “Cover Me Up,” the Jason Isbell Song Morgan Wallen HAD to Cover

If you go through the track list of Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, you’ll note that there are multiple songwriters listed on all but one track: “Cover Me Up.” That track was written and first performed by Jason Isbell, and if you’re a diehard Wallen fan who focuses on modern country, that name might not mean anything to you.

By contrast, Isbell fans might not have realized that another version of the song was on an album that went six-times platinum and soared to the top of the country and overall Billboard charts in 2021. That kind of stylistic separation between the artists who performed it tells you something about the malleability of this song, which was written as an intense personal confession. In Wallen’s cover version, however, it plays more like a universal testament to the healing power of love. Let’s explore the path that “Cover Me Up” has taken, and what the song really means.

From Southeastern Way

Jason Isbell had already established himself as one of the premier singer/songwriters of the Americana genre prior to his 2013 album Southeastern. He did so first as a member of the Drive-By Truckers, and then as a lead artist, both on solo records and with his backing band, the 400 Unit. By his own admission, his early career, successful though it may have been, was also marred by excessive drinking and all-around bad behavior.

Isbell, who had married and divorced bassist Shonna Tucker of the Drive-By Truckers, developed a romantic relationship with singer/songwriter and fiddler Amanda Shires in 2011. The following year, Shires staged an intervention for Isbell that led to rehab; he came out sober prior to the recording of Southeastern. The pair were married the same year the album arrived.

Many of the songs on the record deal with Isbell coming to terms with his past behavior and how it affected those around him. The record’s opening song, “Cover Me Up,” talks specifically about how Shires stuck with him, even when he treated her poorly. With its strikingly honest lyrics and Isbell’s emotional singing, it sets the tone for the album, which was immediately hailed as one of the finest albums in the Americana/alt-country genre.

Wallen Waiting 

To his credit, Morgan Wallen didn’t worry about blurring genre lines when considering “Cover Me Up” as a potential cover song. He just heard it as the classic combination of words and melody that it is, and he knew that kind of excellence crosses all boundaries. In addition, he clearly understood it as the kind of song that would let him showcase his powerful vocals.

Hence, he started performing the song live in 2018, and the response from his audience was immediate and decisive. They loved Wallen’s take on the track, even if the possibility lingered that they didn’t realize it was a cover song (although Wallen usually introduces it by first paying tribute to Isbell as the writer).

As reported by The Tennessean, Wallen admitted during a show to having some second thoughts about trotting “Cover Me Up” out at concerts: “I was a little bit skeptical at first, because I knew I’d get some hate for it. And I have, but it’s been mostly love, and that’s because of you guys. As long as I’m able to sing, I’m gonna sing this song, just because I love it that much.” 

Wallen proved to be as good as his word, and that included his recorded take on the song on Dangerous. His studio version doesn’t deviate all that much from Isbell’s. It goes a tad more electric, and Wallen also adds some self-harmonies in certain portions. But for the most part, he lets the beauty of the melody and the touching nature of the story do the work, while his vocals capture the emotional punch behind it all.

[RELATED: The 5 Best Collaborations of Morgan Wallen’s Country Journey]

What Is “Cover Me Up” About?

As mentioned above, “Cover Me Up” was a relatively direct love song written from Jason Isbell to Amanda Shires. There are specific references to their past time together, some of them not all that flattering: I put your faith to the test when I tore off your dress / In Richmond on high. It also details Isbell’s quest for sobriety: I sobered up, I swore off that stuff / Forever this time.

Yet there is a universality to lines like A heart on the run keeps a hand on the gun / Can’t trust anyone, or But home was a dream, one that I’d never seen / Till you came along, that allow the song to be relatable to many. In fact, anyone who’s had to overcome selfishness or other ugly aspects of their behavior in order to truly deliver what their significant other needs should recognize the emotions.

“Cover Me Up” ultimately depicts a wonderful night alone with that special someone, while also delving into all the wasted nights it took to get there. Jason Isbell wrote it, Morgan Wallen honored it, and fans of any type of great music will appreciate it.

Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for iHeartMedia