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Cora Ludwick

Dr. Cassel

ENG 1201

17 February 2022

Cover Me Up

It is very difficult to write and produce a good song that has deep and emotional meaning;

let alone create a song that can touch the hearts of such different people. Country artist Jason

Isbell did exactly that in 2013 when he released his original song, “Cover Me Up.” There have

been multiple artists who have created covers of this song, but the most popular remake is by

Morgan Wallen, released in 2019. While the touching lyrics of "Cover Me Up" by Jason Isbell

and Morgan Wallen remain the same, the meanings that are expressed appear differently, as well

as the intended audience. Isbell's version focuses on his wife and her aid to his substance abuse

journey, while Wallen's is geared toward Military veterans and families of those.

Jason Isbell has never released an official music video for this song, but I did find a

recording of a live performance at Austin City Limits. This song written by Isbell, was created

essentially as a huge "thank you" to his wife for helping him overcome substance abuse. He

expresses to us that he finds comfort when he's with his wife, and when they are together he

never wants to leave her side. In the song it says “But I sobered up and swore off that stuff/

Forever this time.” This is a promise to his wife that he’s put that behavior in the past. In his live

performance, when he sings this verse, the crowd roots and cheers because they know that he

was able to overcome the pain and suffering of substance abuse.

As mentioned earlier, there are no lyrical changes between the two songs. However, the

intended audiences differ. In Isbell’s version of “Cover Me Up,” the audience is supposed to
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consist of his wife, and anyone who has dealt with, or who is dealing with substance abuse. The

video proves this to be true by showing Isbell’s emotions throughout the course of the

performance. The cameraman uses different angles at different times to show his facial

expressions, as well as the crowd's reactions. Isbell expresses his gratitude to his wife through

this song by saying “But home was a dream, one I’d never seen till you came along.” Isbell

includes many sentimental verses in this song, and during his live performance he gets choked up

periodically. This shows the thought and love that he put into writing this song for his wife.

In Morgan Wallen’s version, he uses the same lyrics and country style, but the

corresponding video brings a new meaning. Wallen created a short film to go along with the

song. This video is about a Military veteran who suffers from PTSD and alcohol abuse, and his

girlfriend. When they are together, he feels at peace, and feels loved by the woman. However,

when he is alone he suffers a relapse and turns to alcohol for support. This is a story about how

the girlfriend is very patient and supportive of the man. It takes us through a series of clips that

show the good and the bad days, and how the girlfriend was there for him through both times.

At the end of his short film, and in his caption, Wallen gives thanks to everyone who has

served the United States. Therefore, we know that the intended audience is Military veterans.

With that being said, the intended audience also includes families of the veterans. I also think

that this video was speaking to a spouse, child, etc. of a veteran because they are deeply

impacted by the new behavior of veterans after they have fought. Through this short film, Wallen

communicates the importance of mental health of Military veterans, and demonstrates that this

can be a frequent recurrence for some. It is an emotional video that is unfortunately very real and

similar to what these people regularly experience.

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While these songs convey different messages, they still have many similarities. For

instance, both videos appeal to pathos by creating an emotional, vulnerable mood. Isbell gets

choked up multiple times during this performance, which becomes a tear jerker to the audience.

Wallen’s short film includes heartbreaking clips of the veteran when he relapses, making the

audience feel sorry for him. These music videos have a very different style of execution when it

comes to conveying the message,

You can easily apply the different meanings to this verse that is featured in both songs:

“But home was a dream, one I’d never seen till you came along.” This is one of the things that

makes “Cover Me Up” so beautiful. Both artists did a great job of eliciting emotion, while

creating their own meanings through their own music videos.

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Works Cited

Beviglia, Jim. “Jason Isbell, ‘Cover Me up.’” American Songwriter, American Songwriter, 28

July

2019, https://americansongwriter.com/jason-isbell-cover-me-up/.

Jason Isbell on Austin City Limits "Cover Me Up." YouTube, uploaded by AustinCityLimitsTV,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaUCDqWzy1k

Morgan Wallen - Cover Me Up (Short Film). YouTube, uploaded by Morgan Wallen,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEnFCa-5p9E