Luke Grimes Delivers Stirring Cover of Blaze Foley’s “Clay Pigeons”

Luke Grimes is lending his voice to a classic Blaze Foley song. On Friday (December 1), the Yellowstone actor released a cover of Foley’s signature track, “Clay Pigeons.” Grimes’ stripped down version features a simple acoustic guitar alongside his rugged voice as he follows the journey of a nomadic man who boards a Greyhound bus in an attempt to find his place in the world. I’m tired of runnin’ ’round / Lookin’ for answers to questions that I already know / I could build me a castle of memories / Just to have somewhere to go, Grimes softly sings.

“In my opinion, Blaze Foley is one of the more underrated singer songwriters in the history books of country music,” Grimes shares in a press statement. “He truly was outlaw country in every sense, and he practiced what he preached. ‘Clay Pigeons’ is not only my favorite song from Blaze, but one of my favorite songs of all time. The structure, melody, and lyrics are all so simple, yet they come together to say something so profound. The songwriting is masterful. There has always been something so comforting to me about the melancholy feel of this song.”

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“Clay Pigeons” was written by Foley and released posthumously in February 1989 following his death on February 1. Foley, whose real name was Michael David Fuller, was shot to death by Carey January in Austin, Texas. January was the son of Foley’s friend Concho January, who believed Foley had stolen his father’s pension and welfare checks. Foley released three albums during his lifetime, while several others have been released posthumously. John Prine, Willie Nelson, and Lucinda Williams are among the various artists who’ve recorded covers or tribute songs in Foley’s honor.

Known for his role as Kayce Dutton on Yellowstone, Grimes released his debut EP, Pain Pills or Pews, in October. It features his debut single “No Horse to Ride,” which reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Stagecoach