Willie Nelson – Just Breathe

About The Song

“Just Breathe” is a song performed by Willie Nelson, released in 2012 on his album Heroes on Legacy Recordings. Written by Eddie Vedder for Pearl Jam’s 2009 album Backspacer, the song was first released as a single by Pearl Jam, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Nelson’s version, a duet with his son Lukas Nelson, was released as a single from Heroes and peaked at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 2012, charting for 8 weeks. The 3:35 track is a tender meditation on love and mortality, with lyrics like: “Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh-huh / As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh-huh.”

Nelson recorded the song in 2011 at Pedernales Recording Studio in Austin, Texas, produced by Buddy Cannon. The session featured The Family band, with Mickey Raphael on harmonica, Kevin “Swine” Grantt on bass, and Bobbie Nelson on piano, alongside Lukas Nelson on electric guitar and vocals. The arrangement slows the original tempo, emphasizing acoustic guitar, harmonica, and the father-son vocal harmony, creating an intimate, reflective tone. The album Heroes reached No. 4 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and sold over 300,000 copies by 2013, per RIAA records, showcasing Nelson’s ability to reinterpret modern songs.

The song’s selection came after Lukas introduced Nelson to Pearl Jam’s version, suggesting a duet to blend their voices. Nelson connected with the song’s themes of impermanence and connection, fitting the collaborative spirit of Heroes. In a 2012 interview with American Songwriter, Nelson said: “It’s a beautiful song about holding on to what matters.” The track gained attention through its music video, released on YouTube in 2012, featuring Nelson and Lukas performing together, which amassed over 5 million views by 2015, per web records.

Covers of the song include Pearl Jam’s 2009 original and a 2010 acoustic version by Dashboard Confessional, per SecondHandSongs. Nelson’s rendition inspired a 2013 live cover by Chris Stapleton at a Nashville benefit concert, documented on YouTube. The song appeared in a 2014 episode of Parenthood, used in an emotional family scene, and in the 2017 film The Shack, underscoring a moment of reconciliation. Nelson and Lukas performed it live at the 2012 Farm Aid in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where it was a highlight of the set.

Nelson frequently included “Just Breathe” in his live sets, notably at the 2013 Fourth of July Picnic in Fort Worth, Texas, where he and Lukas performed it together. The song was featured in a 2018 PBS documentary, Willie Nelson: Family Ties, exploring his collaborations with Lukas. It was performed at Farm Aid 2014 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and remains a staple in Nelson’s performances, often paired with other familial duets, reflecting their close bond.

Video

Lyric

Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh-huh
As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh-huh
Oh, I’m a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love
Some folks just have one, yeah, others they got none, uh-huh

Stay with me, oh, let’s just breathe

Practiced all my sins, never gonna let me win, uh-huh
Under everything, just another human being, uh-huh
Yeah, I don’t wanna hurt, there’s so much in this world to make me bleed

Stay with me, you’re all I see

Did I say that I need you?
Did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t, I’m a fool, you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean

I wonder every day as I look upon your face, uh-huh
Everything you gave and nothing you would take, uh-huh
Nothing you would take, everything you gave

Did I say that I need you?
Oh, did I say that I want you?
Oh, if I didn’t, I’m a fool, you see
No one knows this more than me
As I come clean

Nothing you would take, everything you gave
Hold me ‘til I die, meet you on the other side