In his last years, Merle Haggard settled into a reflective songwriter mode with remarkable clarity and wisdom. Last Of The Breed, I Am What I Am, Working In Tennessee and Django And Jimmie are all albums worth seeking out for that reason. About half of the songs from Bonnie "Prince" Billy's full-album tribute Best Troubador cull from those last statements.

Haggard died one year ago today. To honor the fallen legend we have this intimate performance of "Bad Actor" by Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Elsa Oldham, filmed in a steam room for the cleverly dubbed "Drag City Limits." The duo keep it simple with an acoustic guitar and a jaw harp, illuminating Haggard's devastating meditation on humanity's impostor syndrome.

Best Troubador comes out May 5 on Drag City.

Copyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

300x250 Ad

300x250 Ad

Support quality journalism, like the story above, with your gift right now.

Donate