Lady A Debut Unreleased ‘Things He Handed Down’ Live at the Grand Ole Opry [Watch]
Country trio Lady A took the stage at Nashville's Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night (May 15), and during their set, they treated audience members to something brand-new: An unreleased ballad called "Things He Handed Down."
The song is a heartfelt ballad about lessons learned from an older family member, told from the perspective of looking back following his death. Bandmate Charles Kelley takes lead vocals on the song, singing about how of all the things he inherited from this person, like his guitar, what he cherishes most are his words of wisdom and the memories they made together.
"It just don't sound as good to me / As him sayin' / Don't mix wine with whiskey / Don't put Jesus in a box / Never spend more money than you make," Kelley sings in the chorus, backed by vocal harmony from fellow Lady A members Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood. "Don't burn a bridge that maybe one day you'll have to cross / Don't let a ball game ruin your Saturday..."
Kelley explained from the stage that he co-wrote "Things He Handed Down" with several fellow songwriters, including his country star pal, Thomas Rhett. He also added that the song will be part of Lady A's forthcoming next album.
Lady A haven't yet formally announced their next project, though they have shared its uptempo, high-energy first single, "Like a Lady." When they released the song, the band explained that after a tumultuous year like 2020, they intentionally leaned hard into making a fun, feel-good empowerment anthem.
The band's latest Grand Ole Opry appearance came just months after they were formally inducted as members of the hallowed country music venue in January 2021.
Also, they debuted "Things He Handed Down" on the same weekend that the Opry returned to full capacity after more than a year of restricted audience attendance due to COVID-19 safety protocols. While the Opry is continuing to keep safety precautions such as mandatory mask-wearing, the removal of the attendance cap marked a big step in the direction towards post-pandemic live music — making Saturday night the perfect occasion to celebrate with a new song's live debut.
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