How Kacey Musgraves’ Late Mentor John Prine Inspired Her Witchy New Song “Cardinal”

The country star’s new song “Cardinal” — inspired by his late friend Prine, who died in 2020 — appears on Musgraves’ new album “Deeper Well,” out now

Kacey Musgraves released her latest album on Friday, and it includes a sweet nod to her late friend John Prine.

In the zine available for purchase with his new disc Deeper wellout now, Musgraves reveals that album opener “Cardinal” was inspired by the country icon, who died in April 2020 from complications from Covid-19, writing: “When cardinals appear, angels are near. “

“Unexplainable things started happening and cardinals started showing up at my door shortly after the death of my good friend and mentor, John Prine,” Musgraves, 35, writes in the zine. “He always had a close connection with the cardinals and felt that they were messengers from the spirit realm. He undoubtedly inspired this song.”

“I saw a sign / Or an omen / On the branches / In the morning / It was just after losing a friend / Without warning / Words unspoken / Scarlet red / Cardinal / Do you bring me a message from the “other side / Cardinal / Are you telling me I’m on someone’s mind / Don’t leave me behind,” Musgraves sings on the track.

The lyrics complement the track’s otherworldly production, as well as the overall aesthetic of the album, which Musgraves succinctly described as a “gentle witch of nature” to The Cut.

Musgraves was a longtime fan of Prine before they became friends and collaborators once she rose to fame in Nashville. She joined Prine in 2015 aboard his cruise Cayamo: A Journey Through Song, during which they sang his hits “Illegal Smile” and “Paradise”; and in 2017, they reunited to sing his classic “Angel from Montgomery” at Red Rocks Amphitheater.

“John Prine, single-handedly, has had more of an impact on my writing than anyone else. He’s the king of the punchline, but keeping it simple,” Musgraves told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement following his death four years ago. “They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but you’ll never meet someone as genuine as him.”

At the time, Musgraves added: “There were two times I saw my father cry: my Memaw’s funeral and the time I got to play with John Prine.” »

Related: Kacey Musgraves Announces 2024 World Tour Dates: “Draw From Your Deeper Well With Me”

“Cardinal” isn’t Musgraves’ first song inspired by Prine: he was also the muse behind his debut track “Burn One with John Prine.”

As for the rest of Deeper wellMusgraves recently told PEOPLE that the record reflects the peaceful time she is enjoying in her life.

“This is definitely my strongest time yet. I’m 35 now and I know myself better than previous years, previous albums, and I feel like I’m exactly where I need to be ” she said. “Ultimately, the song sums up where I am in my mid-thirties and really assesses what love means to me, what friendships mean to me, what are the things that I need, what what’s really important to me, what serves me, what doesn’t, and taking stock of that and making room for the things that really matter. This life is so short, I think we have to. be a little ruthless in removing obstacles to growth.

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