Willie Nelson’s equally musical son Micah, aka Particle Kid, has shared a new song, “Die When I’m High (Halfway to Heaven), featuring his father. The slow, self-reflective ballad is in the spirit of a younger Willie, waxing poetic about growing old.
Videos by American Songwriter
The song has been performed live by the duo a few times before its official release, giving fans a taste of the somber duet. With the track officially released, Particle Kid has also shared a self-directed, edited, and animated music video. The visual sees the drawing of the pair placed over scenic views of fields, blue skies, and past performances. Watch it below.
The idea for the song was spurred back in 2020 “between endless rounds of chess and dominos” where Willie reportedly looked up at Micah and said, “If I die when I’m high, I’ll be halfway to heaven,” coming up with the song’s title right then and there.
“It took me a second to process, but I said, ‘Dad, that’s the best song title I ever heard. You better write the rest of it quick,’ Micah said. “He said, ‘Why don’t you write it?’ So I did. That night I wrote it for him, about him. It’s really just a love letter to him. A tribute.”
Micah continued, “At the same time I realized it’s also a sort of ‘fuck you’ to anyone who ever thought of me as some lost prodigal son who doesn’t understand him or respect his legacy just because I’ve never imitated his style or pandered to his audience. HE is the one who gave me my Particle Kid moniker after all.”
“We are both freaks, in our time. I’m no prodigal son. I am HIS Particle Kid,” Micah added. “I would never try to be him, or even pretend, because nobody will ever be him. But believe it or not, I do relate to the Willie fans because I am one of them. They know how incredible and one of a kind he is. So this song is for the real Willie fans too. They get it.
“I cut the video together using a combination of time-lapse footage I shot at Luck, concert footage of me and my dad performing the song live, and some animated portraits I created digitally of him at different times in his life.”
The song comes on the heels of Particle Kid’s newly released album Time Capsule and Willie Nelson’s LP A Beautiful Time.
Outlaw Music Festival Dates:
06/24 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
06/25 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
07/01 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
07/02 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
07/04 – Austin, TX @ Q2 Stadium
07/29 – Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Music Center
07/30 – Cincinnati, OH @ River Bend Center
08/12 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
08/13 – Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center
08/14 – Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
09/09 – Atlanta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
09/10 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
09/11 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
09/13 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
09/16 – Boston, MA @ Xfinity Center
09/17 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
09/18 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ SPAC
09/23 – Camden, NJ @ Waterfront Music Pavilion
Photo by Jim Bennett/WireImage
