During the 50th annual CMA Awards program, Chris Stapleton and country music icon Dwight Yoakam performed Ray Charles and Willie Nelson‘s 1984 collaboration “Seven Spanish Angels.” “Seven Spanish Angels” is a country ballad written by Ray Charles and Will Jennings, and recorded as a duet by Ray Charles and Willie Nelson in 1984. The song is a tale of love, loss, and redemption set in the midst of a battle between two lovers, told through a blend of country, folk, and blues styles.
Morgane Stapleton‘s powerful vocals certainly elevated this stunning tribute. Enjoy the set below!
That’s what perfection sounds like.
Chris & Morgane Stapleton & Dwight Yoakam perform Seven Spanish Angels
Compare the CMA performance to the original collaboration between Willie Nelson and Ray Charles and check out the lyrics below.
Seven Spanish Angels Lyrics
He looked down into her brown eyes
And said, “Say a prayer for me.”
She threw her arms around him,
Whispered, “God will keep us free.”
They could hear the riders comin’,
He said, “This is my last fight.
If they take me back to Texas,
They won’t take me back alive.”
There were seven Spanish angels at the altar of the sun.
They were prayin’ for the lovers in the valley of the gun.
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared,
There was thunder from the throne,
And seven Spanish angels took another angel home.
She reached down and picked the gun up
That lay smoking in his hand.
She said, “Father, please forgive me;
I can’t make it without my man.”
And she knew the gun was empty,
And she knew she couldn’t win,
But her final prayer was answered
When the rifles fired again.
There were seven Spanish angels at the altar of the sun.
They were prayin’ for the lovers in the valley of the gun.
When the battle stopped and the smoke cleared,
There was thunder from the throne,
And seven Spanish angels took another angel home.
In the years since its release, “Seven Spanish Angels” has become a beloved classic of the country genre, and is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of the storytelling tradition that lies at the heart of so much great country music. Its enduring popularity is a testament to the power of a well-told story, and to the way in which music can touch our hearts and souls in ways that few other art forms can.
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