Gregory Alan Isakov covers "The Trapeze Swinger"

Gregory Alan Isakov covers "The Trapeze Swinger" by Iron & Wine for a Fuel/Friends Music Blog Chapel Session in Colorado Springs, CO.
Audio by Ian and Conor Bourgal of Blank-Tape Records.

[@Mark_Bates]

2024 everyone? What a beautiful song 🥃

[@zylen3167]

Yessir.

[@CECOntheCoast]

yep

[@lolnoyou666]

Yes the year is 2024, well done.

[@johnforan5720]

Yessir a masterpiece cover.

[@0casey963]

The best song I've ever heard

[@wenom12345]

Im not kidding when I say that I have listened to this song a thousand times.. yet I love it as much as I did the first time hearing it, it never gets old.. this cover is pure magic.

[@ealbrigo]

Same

[@johnvaars4593]

Me as well.

[@paulzadro6562]

I think I'm on like 200 since discovering this rendition. I'm and Iron and Wine fan and this cover of this beautiful is just so perfect.

[@chelseadelo3260]

Same

[@indirtysoil]

My husband died suddenly a few days ago. I'm thirty-five. A widow. With an infant. It's so heavy, and so hard. But this morning, I was driving through the city and I threw on his KZbin mix, and this was the first song to play. I smiled and I sobbed and I felt him. Music is medicine. It transcends space and time and life and death. It thins the veil between everything that feels binary, and I'm so grateful.

[@calvinh9570]

Audra Hibbs terribly sorry to hear of your loss. There’s nothing worse. This song has made me laugh and cry at the same time. Most beautiful song I’ve ever heard.

[@yoshimi0503]

My heart aches for your loss. Glad this song was able to provide you with some solace.

[@tessathulien4212]

It is truly magic. The magic that connects us all. I am so glad you felt him. Hugs and love to you!

[@Rainy2255]

Hello Audra so sorry for the loss of your love ..this is hard work but music lifts us when our burdens cripple us. I believe that we will be reunited with all those who make our heart swell with their presence and bow us with the loss. I am laying in a hospital bed fighting so hard to stay here with all whom I love. Today is my 50th Anniversary and my 68 th birthday. ..first time in all those years I am not with my husband. Music has lifted me so high when I have lost hope of planting my feet again so thankful there is so much beauty to find. Take care of you and your baby Audra..love from Canada

[@PaperBrainZombie]

"Please remember me, happily ..." I thought that's a really nice last message he left you but then I remembered that he's left his child, your child with you, and from the joy my son brings me, that is better than any song. I hope you can find strength, hope, and peace during this terrible time, and that his memory will continue to bring you joy

[@codydallas149]

My mother's funeral was today. I played this song. It was perfect and beautiful. That's all I have to say.

[@freezinginhere]

Sorry for your loss

[@MrSir-sc1ej]

I'm so sorry man

[@JennaLee-de7oo]

🫂

[@angryorifice3201]

I listened to this on the day of my father's cremation and it hits just as hard as any other time, but it holds you in a sweet emotional embrace that very few songs can do Next to nothing by mandolin orange is another for me and as the last light fades by them too, they're haunting and beautiful

[@yisfernandezz]

😢

[@garyburks4449]

For my 1st born, happy 25th birthday Son. You’ll always be missed, daddy loves you

[@oakson3045]

Bless you Sir, and bless your boy.

[@kidfly2ify]

Yes…..bless you. Bless your boy. I am sorry……

[@laceyhart795]

My daughter, first born, would be 29 today. She died at 19. This song is my go to when I just don’t know what else to do. I’m sorry for your loss.

[@michaelhudson981]

@@laceyhart795 I have never lost someone so precious and near to me, so I can't pretend to know. But I have been with parents who've lost their child as a nurse in the ER Held the hand of people aged and alone as they passed over, held the gaze of eyes begging for this moment not to be happening to them. It affects me. This is version of this song is my go to also for when my heart is aching and I feel detached from my humanity...I need to be human again. This is where I go. I wish you peace.

[@laceyhart795]

⁠@@michaelhudson981 I’m a critical care nurse and can, sadly, relate to your plight. Thanks for being there for those who need us. I know it’s not easy. And, thank you! 😊

[@BigNorthMarty]

"I heard from someone you're still pretty..." Gets me everytime. I bet that's the truth. Here's to lost love 🥃

[@wescollins2981]

Saluti 🥃

[@TolerLive]

🍺 you never quite get over them, do you?

[@Mnchlx69Lrd]

Damn, didn't think a comment would hit me this hard. 🍻

[@equusalatus2200]

Every time I hear « I heard from someone you’re still pretty » I hope that he’s looking down from those gates to see me, and says exactly that to himself. Here’s to « we will meet again ». 🥃

[@illduitmyself]

heres to fuck you

[@CrimsinHavik]

7 minutes, 58 seconds, and this song still isn't long enough.

[@starrysky6632]

Atlas agree!

[@andylymbo]

I suppose the frightened Trapeze Swinger feels the same way.

[@Avilacrazy]

I have 7 minutes & 58 secs, where is that extra minute!!

[@neuebaustelle7508]

my fav sad song all time...

[@paulmatschull1923]

Sam extra second

[@CultofThings]

Seems like the lyrics exist outside of time. Almost like a ghost describing the world, and it can't decide whether or not it wants to be remembered or forgotten.

[@ealbrigo]

❤

[@comedycrackhead]

Astute observation

[@thewerd1982]

Every time I put my baby to sleep we listen to this thing song, it’s been going on two years. I think this song will help her when she’s older and has to deal with my passing.

[@sergiocorral6753]

Does anybody like this cover more than the original? Besides me

[@johnturpin2865]

Significantly more

[@Jackzay90]

nah man, just you. That's why we're all here. To listen to the version we like less and tell you you're all alone in your preference.

[@baahs101]

Iron and Wine kind of sucks. Lyrically, they are great, but covers of their music are always better. Plus Gregory Alan Isakov is amazing.

[@ATX691]

The lyrics are excellent and that cannot be understated, but musically I much prefer the way Gregory covers the song.

[@starrysky6632]

Amazing❤️ This version is what led me to loving all of His music… hooked 💕

[@renots365]

This is the only song I can hear a hundred time and every time time it still effects me as if it was the first time I heard it.

[@gfrizzleshizzlemanizzle]

It sure has that power! Love from New Zealand!

[@tinajz11]

AgreeI hope he remembers...that's all

[@johnvogt9637]

I hear different parts of the lyrics each time.

[@metalukan]

Go listen cover from Ocie Elliot

[@jaredthomson4169]

Tell it on the mountain.

[@ChromaJune]

This remains one of the most devastating covers of all time.

[@taylerjames2886]

In a good way

[@catedoge3206]

@@taylerjames2886 yesin a good way. rekts my soul. puts me to pieces. love it it hurts.

[@Snowyvrxl1]

This was done better. I sob every time i listen to this for numerous reasons. He felt this so hard and it shows

[@jaredthomson4169]

@@Snowyvrxl1 fuck yeah.

[@ryanmorvay2526]

this is the most true thing ive ever read.

[@Austinatw]

Yesterday my wife told me she wants to separate. Couple hours later in my empty house, I heard this for the first time. I don't know if I've cried like that before.

[@JohnnyDollar720]

I’m in the same boat. We’ll get through this brother.

[@JamesHawleyOtt]

Take care of yourself Austin.

[@JThomasSC72]

Damn bro...hope you're doing well ❤

[@naomibotes3143]

Never give up on your dreams....

[@lccrlethbridge7102]

My only son died 1.5 years ago..he was 45 years old. A kind and humble man..the most caring and compassionate man I have had the pleasure and good fortune to know. Watching him grow from a babe to the man he was..he lived with me..his previous two relationships wore on his heart. Hard on a mother watching the pain that our children live with...learn from..suffer from. My heart is literally broken...crushed...I am 73 years old..I am battling Stage 4 mRCC..I wanted to die the day he did. My daughter and grandsons are here and I need to be here for them and myself..my wee dog and cats..close friends...I will never recover from his loss...and I pray that there is something after this earth life we live as I cannot bear to go through the next phase without him. Gregory Alan Isakov, his poetry, music, presence provides a strength...

[@palatero]

I've said a prayer for you and your son and all those who mourn his loss. I wish upon you the energy of compassion and peace of heart.

[@mayamilinaram]

You're a good mother! You're a beautiful human being. Thank you for sharing your grief. Sending you blessings for a happy life ahead. ❤️

[@ohthehorror31]

I hope you see this. My heart breaks with yours. I have one child, he'll be 2 in December. When he was born, he was not breathing and he was blue. I thought he was dead and I felt like I broke into a million pieces.... When I heard him cry for the very first time, I felt like I was breathing again and nothing else mattered but my baby boy. I'm so, so sorry about your son. From one mother to another, I send all of my love and empathy. ❤️❤️

[@briannapulkinen546]

My sincere apologies. Losing a child is my greatest fear. I’m so sorry this tragedy fell on your shoulders. I found this song today, while trying to heal from my father’s recent passing(Aug 25/20) As I write this, I notice you’re from my ol stompin grounds. I’m originally from Taber. My parents have been big supporters of LCCR💚 Sending hugs, from NW Sask💚

[@trinhnguyen3335]

I'm sorry for your heartbreak. Send you lots of love and hugs from afar!

[@nessaahmad4781]

"Heard from someone you're still pretty"- probably the most heart wrenching line in the whole song.

[@arialoren4877]

what does that line mean?

[@aaf877]

@@arialoren4877 I think it means that the other person is doing better and it pains the singer.

[@nessaahmad4781]

@@arialoren4877 It's been many years and they have grown old (with out seeing each other). Someone (a mutual contact) tells him that she is still pretty.

[@middleverse3838]

@@nessaahmad4781 amazing right

[@Jimberino760]

If you’re a simp.

[@JayCoombs]

"Who the hell can see forever?" Hits me every time. Peace & love ✌

[@stephaniestanbro671]

Me too

[@RweetoRKO]

Me too :')

[@kidfly2ify]

Me too.

[@roychowdhurybubuu7151]

"Who the hell can see forever" That's my favourite line from the song ❤ :')

[@Rob81k]

One of those gems I keep coming back to, like many others I see. Heading towards 10 million views!

[@dannycasserly697]

Thank God Iron and Wine made this song just so Gregory could cover it…the BEST song of all time nobody could change my mind

[@dr.altheprofessorofsit-dow9700]

Kind of like Postal Service created "Such Great Heights" for Iron & Wine to cover...

[@neelkamalsemwal4072]

This version is more personal.

[@PeterOreilly-v5d]

I have loved this song for 8 years. I always return.

[@godawgsuga1]

The absolute, unquestionable, undeniable best song I’ve ever heard….period. I know it’s a cover…..I don’t care. Still my favorite song of all time…..just wow….

[@clayuga]

He needs to add this to his next album

[@andrewknapp6183]

Anyone who thought this cover was a good idea was right. They can jump off a cliff, but they were right.

[@mandybuehler9471]

I sit in silence after this song and think of how there's no other song like it

[@shaunagaskin3977]

My wonderfully kind, Gentle Giant of an ex-lover would play this song for us over and over when he was in his deepest private hell. It took me a loooong time to catch and process the agonisingly beautiful words/lyrics of this song. And when I finally burst out one night that I understood it's achingly perfect message; as we sat before one of our many soothing campfires.... he began to cry with relief that I finally understood a small slice of him. He then made me promise him...that if he left this world before me; I would play this song at his funeral It was one of the landmark moments of my life, and I will keep that promise my friend; should there ever be a need.❤ All my love, S

[@ClSmith-n1r]

Beautiful words.xxxx

[@ManofUlster]

“The trapeze act was wonderful, but never meant to last” Such a striking line. I’m in my final year of university and I’m really starting to feel the stack of pages thinning in my right hand, and this song reminds me to make the most of it before it all just becomes memory. We can’t hold on to anything that’s in time, just appreciate it as it comes and let it go.

[@viridian9673]

As someone in the 2nd year in university, the stacks of pages seem so overwhelming, especially with the pandemic fiasco(Sleepless nights doing schoolworks/well I am doing something right now as i am writing this listening to Isakov). I honestly don't know what the future will hold as it looks very treacherous but glad we get to realise moments like this where the only thing we need to be is in the present--because that's all we know and have.

[@Matchaakt]

This is exactly how I’m feeling right now. Described perfectly

[@ethanmilton7083]

I don't know if you meant textbook/schoolwork pages as you read or if you meant if your life was a book, but I interpreted it the second way and that's a very poetic way to describe getting older. I'm in my second year of university myself.

[@jaredthomson4169]

It's all you can do. You are blessed to have learned it so early in life. Many don't until much later.

[@smooky528]

same here there's a whole new chapter awaiting us.

[@spacemanspiff3039]

I heard this song for the first time when I was 18, and I immediately knew that it was the song I wanted played at my Funeral. It resonates so deeply with my soul. Almost every single lyric. "I heard from someone you're still pretty." I've got my "one that got away" and though I'm very happily married now, she'll always lurk in the deep corners of my mind. "Remember me, my misery, and how it lost me all I wanted." I've battled with mental health my entire life, and it's cost me many, MANY opportunities in life. I've got a much better handle on it nowadays, better than I've ever had. But it still rears it's ugly head on occasion. "If I make, those pearly gates, I'll do my best to make a drawing of God, and Lucifer." I was raised by a very religious Christian family. While their religion is not for me, both my parents however, whom I love very dearly, have dedicated their lives to it. This line for me is a conversation between me and my mother. A promise to her that even though I don't believe in the same things as she, and while I might make decisions that she may see as sinful, I will still do my best to be a good man and decent human. Sorry for the essay... This song always makes me feel mawkish. There is something so... fathomlessly special and human about this song. Absolutely gorgeous. Amazing cover by an amazing artist.

[@kekecompilations5070]

Me and my friend used to listen to this song in our first year at university when she was sad. Now I listen to it when I’m sad, I don’t know if you will ever read this Elizabeth, but I hope you are happier now than when we used to be friends, I think it’s funny how we remember people, please remember me, H

[@solorgana]

You are happier. You were a good friend. Good on you.

[@svennenarkalov169]

"please remember me, my misery, and how it lost me all I wanted." ow.

[@Andrew-tf2hp]

I feel that verse.

[@lowlandraised7266]

I know right? That one small limerick in the verse is like a gut punch it is so strong. I wanna feel what the dude who wrote this was when he penned it.

[@dirkdiggler7727]

Yea felt that shit

[@tombehnke9058]

Good call, friend. This one STUNG me. I'm still young enough to have what I think I want, but 46 years in, it could have been different if not for choices. Great line.

[@rickd8765]

I feel this way too much. I am comfortable in my misery.

[@49dwalin55]

This song should realistically be somewhere between #1 to #5 on every 'Most beautiful songs ever written' list compiled since 2005.

[@danjmham]

if it's not number 1, then please send forth...

[@49dwalin55]

@@danjmham second, third and fifth while you're at it! 😂

[@god-green1]

What are the most beautiful songs written before 2005? I will add them in my playlist.

[@laceyhart795]

This song makes me ache for dreams never realized, connections never made, and decisions that changed the direction of my life for the worse. But, also, at the same time, it feels like a celebration of the life I’ve been lucky to live. Scars, heartbreaks, and losses which have made me into the person I am. It’s almost too deep to express in the words the fill my vocabulary. I feel it in my bones.

[@keilygeary76]

Oh you nailed it.

[@ealbrigo]

Yes

[@kidfly2ify]

I think you are correct

[@samrapine4615]

"'Tell my mother not to worry'" hits me like a truck every time.

[@kkkkkke407]

I got to know Gregory's music through a very loved artist of mine (Let's call him N). N was my secret crush since I was 16 years old, I saw him live once, and we took a photo together. Years went by, I continued to listen to Gregory, I was getting older but his music never did. 13 years later, last October, I went to a live music show. Someone was singing San Luis, there he was, N. I couldnt believe it. At the end of the show I gathered all the strength I had to talk to him, I told him how much I love his music and his voice. That was it, it was like two lost souls found each other. After endless nights and days, he told me he loved me, i love him too. Unfortunately timing was not on our side. I think about him everyday. And this song reminds me of him

[@johnkerrigan6389]

I'm a 62 year old man. I stumbled upon this song while I searched a different GAI song. I wasn't familiar with the original version. at my age I have millions of memories. I love to apply them to the lyrics of this song. This artist with his voice his demeanor and they way he seems to feel it, transcends all of me that was there before.

[@danielbrager3049]

john Kerrigan Beautiful ☺️

[@danielbrager3049]

john Kerrigan You should check out his cover of John Hartford's "In tall buildings" absolutely amazing.

[@MaryamPirzada]

beautifully written! thank you

[@buddersmith]

Same - hadn't heard it before until now when it happened to pop up on a ray lamontange mix right after finding out a friend's child passed away suddenly. I have listened to Iron and Wine before however, can't decide which version I like better. But you're right - this guy Gregory sure can feel it!

[@aaronchampagne9865]

John, I want to share one of my memories associated with this song. I was working as a Wildfire Lookout Observer in Northern Alberta. It was my rookie season and I was just listening to the whole Around the Well album while looking out the South window of my tower's cupola. The trees had already gone through a few green-up stages and the forest was just starting to look colourful after a long, snowy first month.

[@thomasstarr2935]

“Please” something about the way he just says please, it sounds desperate. It sounds in need. I couldn’t love it any more than I do right now.

[@michaelhudson981]

Not only do I love this version of this song. God do I! But reading all your responses adds so much texture and connection to the souls of my fellow travelers. Thanks everyone for taking the time to share your reactions of how this performance has touched you.

[@rebeccaurban3687]

If I wasn't married with kids I'd chase this man around the globe to hear him play everywhere. Esp. at Red Rocks. His band is awesome and they put on one of the best live shows ever.

[@Godschild77786]

Do it with the kids and fam

[@award9273]

After years of seeing him in our hometown we finally made the trip to CO and saw him at Red Rocks this past Monday. It was absolutely glorious. Such a beautiful show and venue. ❤

[@papajohn6257]

Yes, the Labor Day weekend show was incredible, nothing beats seeing him live at red rocks. We drive from wisconsin to see him there

[@callumlowe6393]

Can I join you?

[@dannyleja16]

Most underrated singer and musician, in my opinion..

[@qinghai1]

This sing just popped up in a post from a couple years ago. I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard this song sober. It use to be a song I’d listen to after a night of drinking and feeling down on myself. It’s just as devastating sober as it was when I use to drink myself to sleep. I haven’t drank in a year and a half and this has me spinning with all the loss I felt when I first heard this song. This song is so beautiful in a way that breaks you down no matter where you are. Here I am 50 years old, just got out of bed, and here this song is breaking me down like a cardboard box. I never set out to quit drinking. It’s just something that happened. I just woke up and said I didn’t feel like drinking today. That was June 23rd 2022. A year after I lost my big brother. Nothing can break you in two like music. This song breaks me every time I’ve hear it.

[@Thought0Ninja]

I'm sitting here sobbing, listening to this song, drinking, and wishing I wasn't. It and more have cost me the love of my life and so much time I have wasted in my life with addiction. I hope to get where you are someday and be free of these chains to be the person I want to be. Your comment has made me realize I need to fix myself but I don't know where to start but I have to try.

[@ClSmith-n1r]

Wow!!!! So beautifully put.x

[@mattg4836]

Starting is the hardest part

[@gilless100]

“Who the hell can see forever?” Everytime life gets hard I come back to this song. Working 2 jobs to get a bright future for my girl and me. Yet I lost track of the most important thing. Showing the people you love how much you love them. My girl feels trapped in our relationship. She feels insecure. Now, when I’m listening to this song, again, I feel so lost. Hoping that everything is going to be alright, but I don’t know if it will. The pain that comes with admitting to yourself that you’re also not feeling well but the hope that you can find eachother again. Here’s to you, if you read it, probably not. S. ❤️

[@GreenSushiPanda]

here's to enjoying the beauty of life, pain and all.

[@gilless100]

❤

[@andrewknapp6183]

All of the graffiti he describes. I don't know why nobody else has ever thought of this, but it's stunningly poetic.

[@ealbrigo]

❤yes

[@blakeq9325]

"Please remember me, mistakenly". Man, that just tore me apart. I've listened to this cover hundreds of times, but that line in particular is the one that got me today. 3 years ago, my wife and I adopted a pup that was having a hard time finding a home due to "behavioral issues" diagnosed by the vet. After 2 and a half years of running after him down the road, cleaning up after him, getting up in the middle of the night to calm him down, and him absolutely crawling all over us and licking us to death, we find out that he never had behavioral issues. It turns out that he had been in the middle stages of kidney failure from the get-go. By the time we found out, it was too late. He's been gone for 6 months now, and when I "mistakenly" run across a picture of him it just rips me apart. He was my greatest responsibility, but proudest accomplishment. He's still giving me hell, I just he was still giving me hell here. I wish I could have done better by him and will live with the guilt of not fixing his problems. I still have so many unresolved feelings toward losing him, but I guess that's life. RIP to my little dude.

[@Mike-vq3jx]

Gregory wrote a wonderful song about a similar experience. It’s called “San Francisco.” You gave your dog a good life. Be proud.

[@robert.artinian]

Hey friend, I just came across your comment and feel moved to reply-just in case. Because, yes, someone made a mistake in regard to your dog, but it wasn’t you. You aren’t a vet. You are a civilian. The vet made a tragically bad call: he misdiagnosed kidney failure as a behavior problem. That is egregious. He did your dog wrong. But you didn’t: you loved that dog. Every word you write bleeds it. I worked at a shelter for years. So many dogs never get adopted, never get loved. Especially the “problem dogs,” the dogs with “issues”: they get bounced from home to home and end their lives back in a shelter. It’s devastating. And it’s no kind of life. Your decision to adopt that dog and love that dog with all its problems (however misdiagnosed) gave him a life-a real life where he knew true goodness amid the pain, in spite of the misdiagnosis. You did right by him. (P.S. I adopted a “problem dog” too, she gave me hell for most of her 14 years, and I miss her to this day.)

[@blakeq9325]

@@robert.artinian Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. He's been gone for going on two years now, and I've finally been able to forgive myself. I wouldn't say that I've "moved on", because I still want to keep him at the forefront of my mind to challenge me to do better by those around me. But the timing of your comment is funny, because we just adopted another pup a couple of days ago. We have a dog that is going into his "middle years" who has some separation anxiety and missed his brother, so we decided it would be good for all of us to pour our affections into another little dude. They are playing so much that it's hard to keep up! Thank you again for your kind words and the service you've done for all the furballs.

[@peytonhodge1260]

@@blakeq9325 that’s incredible man. Hope things have been well with your middle aged pup. I adopted my Stella about a year and a half ago from the humane society, she was a 5-6 month old German Shepard found in a field. probably wasn’t my wisest decision at that point in my life but we’ve stuck by each other through everything so far and I regret nothing. She also has very bad separation anxiety and she’s still young so she’s just nuts in general lol. But I can’t help to think back to when I adopted her (I was 20 now going on 22) I thought about how much training and learning she was going to need but it’s fair to say she taught me way more than I could ever have to teach her and she made me become a man, I don’t go out and party or get in trouble any more and I am now sober. She’s the best and biggest responsibility I’ve ever taken on but I will never be able to repay her for everything she’s done for me. Mans best friend is an understatement. Much love to you and yours

[@blakeq9325]

@@peytonhodge1260 Wishing you and Stella many more years of friendship. Dogs are remarkable creatures who are way better at loyalty and living in general than we are, and there is so much we can learn from them. I'm glad to hear that you were able to make that leap so early in life. I was around that same age when I adopted my older dog and it might have been the best decision of my life.

[@CultofThings]

When you don’t know if you’d rather be remembered or forgotten.

[@MS-mp9om]

woah. yeah.

[@octaneartllc]

Eventually both

[@lolnoyou666]

deep

[@daryl7277]

A year ago today my best friend who I've known my whole life committed suicide. Not too long before that, his 7 year old son died from leukemia. Everyone in his life were completely devastated. After the tragedy of losing his son, we all tried our best to help, but he no longer had the will to live. I know he'll meet those pearly gates, and spend that time with his son. RIP my friend. You'll never be forgotten.

[@49dwalin55]

That's so tragic man. Sorry for your loss. Hope your doing ok

[@stretch8390]

Terribly sorry for your loss! Just awful.

[@ClSmith-n1r]

What a beautiful thing to say about your friend and his family. Everyone needs friends that are just like you.xxxx

[@JamesHawleyOtt]

This is the hardest song in the world to get through without breaking down. I sing/play this version about once a month, and every time I think I am going to make it to the end, and then I spill over in a wave of sobbing halfway through the final verse and rarely get the last two lines out.

[@supafunkrocsta]

Thanks for posting that. I can't get by without crying. Not once.

[@isaiahperez8080]

When I heard this version of the song I cried instantly. While I was crying I ran downstairs to tell my girlfriend how beautiful it was and how it meant so much to me that a song this beautiful and heartbreaking could bring me to tears. She didn't even bother to look at me. She just stayed on her phone and ignored the tears coming down my face as I cried. 10 hours later we broke up, and as I was trying to save our very, very, broken relationship she just sat there on her phone. I was in tears and sobbing, just like I was that morning. Moral of the story here is: Be with someone who is willing to stay by your side and work through anything with you. Be with someone who will set their phone down and make sure you're okay, even if it's sad or happy tears. Don't settle.

[@twaal22]

Holy shit dude, I'm sorry. You made the right choice and I hope you find someone who appreciates beauty as much as you do

[@isaiahperez8080]

Tyler Waaler that means a lot to me! Thanks bro! Finally went and dropped off the last of her stuff today. Feels good

[@Rich2969]

In German they call such moments Augenblich 'the blink of an eye' when truth is revealed. You have a good soul and you will find someone who appreciates it. Go well. Slan leat

[@isaiahperez8080]

@@Rich2969 Thank you so much.

[@thifonteles]

You're gonna get through this man, and become stronger...

[@cambowman5020]

As a songwriter, who always performed my own songs. Someone who as a younger man refused to sing other peoples songs, and didnt want to give or sell my music to other people. This performance touches me on such a level. I went and listened to the original, and as good as it is, I wouldnt have listened to it but a few times. But this version, I cant turn it off. This man made this song a part of my life now. I never really thought about it, but sometimes, someone out there may be able to sing what you wrote with a passion that truly gives it a different life.

[@jesjesvvs]

Well said

[@jenj.8999]

I agree, and I also feel that way about almost every cover that Chase & Sierra Eagleson have done. Check them out, I think you will be moved.

[@evananderson1455]

Johny Cash did something similar with Hurt. With his performance it became his song.

[@wedgeman8910]

you said this beautifully. but it has to be with passion without it is just a poor parody. i hope you continue to write and perform and enjoy this life of yours

[@cambowman5020]

@@wedgeman8910 I was just in 60 Road Studios recording. If you would like to hear my music, I am happy to share. You are dead correct. Without passion it is just parody.

[@guyjperson]

Isakov, an exceptional songwriter and singer, covering Iron & Wine? ANOTHER exceptional songwriter and singer? It's rivetting. Both versions are spectacular. I believe I've come here 50 times.

[@talldan645]

50 may not be enough. this song is medicine to me.... I'm pretty sure I'm over 100 at this point.

[@qualquercenabro4252]

This song is truly something else. Years go by and somehow it just gets better. Absolute masterpiece, been a company on a lot of hard moments. Thank you Gregory.

[@neiljohnson7072]

My brother died of OD a few a months back. I've been having a hard time with it. I wept while listening to this. Thank you, Gregory. Thank you for the healing.

[@splinband]

Hope yer doing good man! Lover from Berlin!

[@All1World4U]

I am sorry about you brother. Wishing you the best as you heal.

[@Snowyvrxl1]

My husband ODed ten years ago. I was there. Part of me died too. This song brings me back to watching him die “angels with their grey handshake’s” it brings me to my own struggle with the life and death business of being an addict. I think the thing people forget is nobody wants to be a drug addict. We want it to go away we want to be left alone. I want to be normal I want to be able to live just like everyone else but for some reason we are forced against our will to do things some feel that is free will to do things that we don’t want to do. I believe that demons and angels exist and I believe the demons control addiction. I believe that addiction is a fight for the soul. Something in your life corrupts your soul to the point that heaven and hell has to fight over it and you only get a small say in the matter. I don’t know. That’s how it feels to be an addict for me. I’m a lot of things. Im not a street addict. I’m a suburban mom who you walk past and never know the difference. But I’ve been there. Those dark awful places your soul is up for grabs and it’s not just an easy yes or no decision like most people want to believe of addiction. Somehow there is so much more to it.

[@malefic575]

you aren’t alone

[@ClSmith-n1r]

So sorry to hear about the loss of your dear brother. My thoughts are with you and your beautiful family.xx

[@jemarks]

Who the hell can see forever? Not me son. Not me. Trapeze acts never last. This song, delivered by this gifted musician, will last forever.

[@andrewknapp6183]

All the eloquent graffiti. Such great lyrics.

[@meriamsaoudi9915]

What is both haunting and charming is his ceaseless desire for her to remember him. In different contexts, undergoing different states of souls...he wants her to remember him in his entirety. To be remembered overpowers to be loved, for it never dwindles. Although he may have lost her, asking her to remember him would carry him within her forever.

[@chakhansurinoormohammad717]

that's literally the best explanation

[@meriamsaoudi9915]

@@chakhansurinoormohammad717 Oh wow! Thank you!

[@garygoodwin5961]

Beautifully put to words, thank you

[@trenthobson2756]

Criminally underrated comment on a criminally underrated video

[@areyesm92]

-Dad, why is my sister called Rose? -Because your mom loves roses. -Oh, thanks, dad. -No problem, Gregory Alan Isakov covers "The Trapeze Swinger"

[@jessesnead1908]

haha

[@bt8208]

That was pretty good :)

[@Bfolks84]

Lolol

[@manikaantsuryan]

Hahaha ❤️

[@seth2386]

Lol this is awesome!!!

[@eternity9691]

the reconciliation of death. the miracle of life, the miracle of death. the marvelousness of the dance between the two. the rapidity, the brevity of it all. the smidgens we remember; the gaps which we forget. the afterthoughts, the foresights, the remembrances. the heights by which we are remembered as we pass through the lowest exits mortality drags us through. This is an expression beyond which the words of which it is composed can verbally express. This song is felt rather than heard.

[@timspry5721]

Beautifully said.

[@windsurfdaves]

Thank you for getting so close to capturing the rainbow of this song that plays with light, colour and time.

[@EasyENGLISHwithJames]

Extremely well written! You come close to capturing, in words, the feeling that this song inspires in me.

[@octaneartllc]

Beautifully put, like the miracle you are 😊

[@robertoneill1272]

Bravo

[@j.morganlooney1080]

Isakov did to "The Trapeze Swinger" what Johnny Cash did to "Hurt".

[@FatAristocats]

Very well said!

[@jamesburden328]

“A boy and girl. An angel kissing on a sinner.” I don’t know why but this image completely crushes me.

[@FindingFreedom325]

Could you imagine what a painting of this song would look like? I would most likely cry at the sight of it.

[@henokbelay2134]

I wish you could paint it and email me

[@hannansheron8341]

I would be something like "starry night over the rhone" It has and a very isolated feel to it and somehow automatically sets itself in an evening with a sky full of starts

[@brendankeating3001]

i second that!

[@MountainJewz1]

Stephen now that’s a beautiful statement

[@alisong826]

Same

[@sydneypino9891]

When I first heard this song, it resonated with me for so many reasons. My father had just passed and I found it so very poignant. Now at 27, fighting cancer, desperate to live a long life with the love of my life its resonance has shifted to a whole new level. I’ve been lucky enough to see GAI twice live, would’ve been three times if not for the diagnosis/timing. Still hope to make that third time.

[@stevenhaas7988]

First time I heard this song today yet, I feel like I have been listening to this song forever....

[@rayray3645]

Here I am. Back again. Wiping tears away. Wondering about beauty and sadness and who the hell can see forever.

[@michaelhudson981]

Me too . Back again to get back in connection with my humanity.

[@MS-mp9om]

I've thought about ending my own life almost everyday for the past 5 years. Music like this brings relief from those irrational, ruminations. There's magic in it, I can't explain it but I feel it.

[@Elephant1936]

Same. This song gives me hope to make new experiences so I can eventually look back on them and my life and have a story to tell. Keep on chugging my brother. I will do the same

[@windsurfdaves]

To suffer, is to feel deeply. To feel deeply is life’s beauty and cruelty, but ultimately it’s point. Let those waves move through you,.

[@joshuapowers4072]

I'm so happy to hear that something helps you. Five years is such a long time. Please give it another five years before you make that decision.

[@samflynn6794]

Thanks. Your message is great relief to me as it's a sign that I'm not alone. I've struggled too but I'm glad we can all receive respite from ruinous reflections through this song.

[@pfeiferjeff]

Don't ever Fucking give up. The world needs you!

[@morganwillms2658]

I love my girlfriend. I love our life. We have been together for two years. I take her for granted sometimes. Listening to this song makes me realize that this is love. The memories that we made and will make. I don't want this song to take on a new meaning, she is my dream girl and I am excited to see where life takes us. I love her, I won't take her for granted, cause this song makes me realize that what I have and what I have is a deep love, connection, bond, that requires some attention and some effort. Anything worth having is.

[@ramshamatin9612]

Been finding my way back to this for over a year, and I never get enough of it. How can a song break you and heal you at the same time

[@Marie-4207]

Yes!

[@missingtooth9558]

sometimes to heal the darkest parts you must first dig to them

[@suvirsharma4731]

Gregory, thank you so much for this rendition, I find that it surpasses the original in its ability to capture the profound essence of life: where there is happiness, there will be pain. These emotions are meant to coexist, and once we acknowledge and embrace this truth, we can discover inner peace.

[@brent9129]

I've heard this song hundreds of times and it still hits like a train

[@laceyhart795]

Yes it has mass. It squeezes 😢

[@missingtooth9558]

im the same way, i cant explain how much i wish this song was on spotify because i would listen to it non stop

[@issacdunham6257]

This song brings such a profound feeling. It's its got such a potent combination of melancholy and loss but also a feeling of love and light. It feels as though I'm lamenting a memory I was never a part of. It's beautiful

[@spotnuk]

This is one of the rare cases where a cover is better than the original. This version, to me, is the definitive version of the song.

[@thuhuynh7194]

Someone i knew from highschool passed away because of a car accident just 2 weeks ago. Even though i have never talked to them, i was struck by the news and the sadness it brought me - a person who only knew but never actually talked to them. How painful it must be for their family and friends to lose them in such a sudden and tragic way. I have been listening to this song for the past two weeks while thinking about this. How suddenly we all succumb to the brief role we are allowed to play on Earth. In the blink of an eye, the world drops dead for them. Without being told that their lives are now counted in seconds, they are given no chance to say a proper goodbye or a proper "please remember me". This song brought up such a sense of lost love, of oblivion, tragedy and parting that we must all face upon growing up. (In loving memories, i hope you rest in peace!)

[@splinband]

You are a good soul! God bless 🙏

[@michaelkovacs1219]

Can this please get added to spotify....???

[@sommerperkins5667]

I love this song and now it has much more meaning to me than before. I was able to see my dad in the hospital where I work as an RN and be with him in his last hour. I played many songs for him to help ease his passing and now this one will forever be my favorite song. I hope my dad enjoyed it too and that he felt my love and knows I will always remember him. 4-28-2020/2:56 PM

[@D-Vinko]

I never met your dad; I really know nothing about him. I know that the only consolation I'd want as a father is to know that my daughter made such a great life for herself. Given that, I can't imagine how proud he was.

[@michaelhudson981]

I keep revisiting this song when I need to connect to what it is to be human. When My heart needs to be opened up, to fly and be grounded in the same motion... to stretch and transcend logic and material constraints. I too am an RN. My 22 years have been in the ER and this version if this song resonate so strongly and deeply with me. So much has hammered on me and scorched me and washed powerfully over me in the course of my work and somehow GAI lifts me up and I know it will all be alright. There is powerful magic here. Strong but gentle.

[@maximusmarchi5042]

undeniably the best song ever written

[@tamryngobatti7307]

The problem with this not being on Spotify is that now I’m worrying about all the other magic I might be missing out on 😭 by golly I love this guy

[@matthewbarendregt5831]

Been listening to this song for 10 years and still going. Hits the same everytime.

[@joanieatherton5034]

I Love this song it reminds me of my youngest son’s life in many ways. He was an amazing person, Dad, and ER Nurse . He left this earth on November 12 th of 2020. He was 42 . He felt empty, living in a sober living house and had worked through is alcohol addiction. He had two beautiful children one 22 yrs and one 6 yrs old. He felt great loss and took his own life overdosing on antidepressants and BP meds. My heart hurts when I listen to this song, but I think I know what he was saying. This is a Song that speaks to me, about his life. Thank you

[@barbaradobbs7356]

Reading all these comments are almost as beautiful as the song itself... So heres mine A friend who grew up with me, stayed with us more than his own mother, my first kiss, one of my first friends, closer than a brother, but in growing up fell away, distant, but still so close to my heart... took his life. He was only in his early 20s. No one knows why. No one thought Chris ever felt anything but happy and silly and funny. He was one of those people in your life you never imagine leaving. You run into them every few months and are suddenly filled with love again, embracing. He gave the best hugs. When he took his life my entire home town was broken by it. You could feel how the world was darkened by his absence. Ive written many songs for him and none do him justice. This song lets me feel him.

[@youngdylan5083]

Who the hell can see forever…

[@ncrangers]

This version of this song never gets old for me and touches me in places no amount of therapy has ever been able to get to. Thanks for the healing!

[@mikebindursky9184]

“So please, remember me, finally, and all my uphill clawing, my dear” Such a devastatingly beautiful way to finish this journey through time. No one is perfect and everyone is doing their best. Love deeply and understand that life is fleeting. The unique familiarity of Iron&Wine’s lyrics crossed with GAI effortless perfection is what keeps pulling me back to this song year after year.

[@ClSmith-n1r]

It's incredibly powerful, simple and beautiful all wrapped into one amazing and wonderful song. Nobody could ever replicate what Gregory has done here, it's astonishingly good.x

[@garybrady7429]

This song is healing. A work of pure poetry. What a fabulous performance. One that surely makes humanity better, if even for only a fleeting instance. Thank you for giving us this.

[@rebekadinaldo2079]

I still remember it as if it were yesterday, when he arrived and sat in the living room and started playing this song on the guitar, I knew he wasn't doing well, and this song really hurts me so much, but at the same time it relieves me, I tried to help the person I loved the most and it wasn’t enough, but thank you for at least left me a good artist in my Spotify playlist

[@562handsomemike]

I’m 45 minutes late for work. I’m in my car outside the job site…I’m finishing this song. ❤️

[@luciphillips]

It's been almost a year since my husband died in a car accident. Listening to this today and remembering him.

[@stretch8390]

Terribly sorry for your loss.

[@luciphillips]

@@stretch8390 thanks

[@prabalpanjabi6641]

God bless your journey

[@luciphillips]

It's been 4 years now. I still listen to this and remember him.

[@stevenconifer2676]

This song is like an axe to the heart, an eternal wellspring of tears.

[@Raymonddurann]

At the time that I am watching this it has 8.1 million views. Half of them are from me. Thank you sir for this amazing cover.

[@ClSmith-n1r]

lol, and the other half from me.xx

[@barraganadalberto7]

I want this at my funeral. However soon that may come.

[@ClSmith-n1r]

It's written down to be played at mine.xx

[@danielanderson6811]

This song has too many connections to human perceptions and experiences, to even count. In short, this song has tremendous potential to touch everyone, if they choose to allow that sort of thing.

[@octaneartllc]

As long as i don't have to pay for it to touch me im cool with it...

[@835hsyd]

If you listen to it completely, it will move you in such a way, that only you can hear and feel what it means.

[@karlijennings7570]

I’ve come back to this cover at least once or twice a year for the last few years. “Who the hell can see forever?” Always gets me

[@michaelhudson981]

Karli, I revisit this song too. It makes me human again after a tough shift in the ER when everything has come crashing down. When I feel myself turning into a prickly asshole I know it's time for another listen. I am so thankful to Sam for writing it and to Gregory for this Soul Expanding cover.

[@ratherbeinmoab]

Totally- the way that comes out is amazing

[@anthonykalorib-kerr5268]

My grandmother passed away today. I think of her when I hear this song

[@desmundtahoe2348]

I just waw him in concert a couple months ago in San Jose. I loved their show. He's got so much of a haunting soulful sound; I love writing my novels listening to him and others like Lord Huron, Noah Kahan, and Iron and Wine. My favorite vibe. xoxo

[@thewerd1982]

Every time I put my baby to sleep we listen to this thing song, it’s been going on two years. I think this song will help her when she’s older and has to deal with my passing. 2:49

[@danielwalsh9057]

So much beauty in u, keep fighting!

[@thetrailorman1]

The narrator is the trapeze swinger. The circus is life. The narrator has recently died. He is caught somewhere between heaven and hell in something like a waiting room for eternity. He is reflecting on the relationship that defined much of his life. It's here we sense why he's a trapeze swinger. Trapeze swingers take part in an act that cannot be done alone. They need someone else in order to be the performers they are. The partner he depended on is the girl to whom he is singing. But she cannot hear him because she is still alive down on earth. In fact, I like to think she is seated in the back row of his funeral service. She does not realize that she is being viewed from above. Her admirer, still waiting for his name to be called, finds himself too far removed to get a message across. To him the circus of life now appears to be nothing more than a baby's dream. He died young. He hadn’t seen the girl since the summer after their senior year of high school. Even still, his love for her had never gone cold. After all, the two of them had grown up together! As kids they enjoyed rough-and-tumble fun and make-believe adventures at the kitchen table. Their childhood innocence wasn't totally divorced from the real world, either. They counted black cars passing because, during WWII, the Army used a black car to deliver word to families that a family member (a son or a brother) had been killed in combat. So the two of them, even as kids, knew enough to know the world had its complications. But that didn't deter them from falling in love as teenagers. Times were good then - simple is the right word. Their duo seemed a thing predetermined by fate, a thing set into motion by some choreographer hidden just off stage. But then, toward the end of high school, the balancing act got complicated: college applications, bigger opportunities, a chance to see the world. That summer she left him and their hometown behind. A few years later she heard the news of his death (a suicide?) via a long-distance phone call. She decided to travel home for the first time in a while. She wanted to attend his funeral. The angels don’t understand what it's like to leave the world. Angels live in a place where there is no death, where seasons don't change, where trees don't fall over. They have come to see the humans passing through this place as another number to be processed, another sinner to be judged. Their handshakes are hurried. They don’t grasp the human experience, the joy and heartache of it all. For a boy to look down at the love of his life, her beauty lit up by the city of God, yet remain separated from her presence, divided by stubborn dimensions that now press between them. "Don’t look down," someone has spray-painted on the gates of heaven. It’s a warning not to look down at those on earth due to the heartbreak that will ensue. But our narrator disregards the warning. He continues to peer down at her from “the window of the tallest tower.” He calls to her but he is much too high to be heard. A specific memory comes to mind: a Halloween during high school, their faces painted white. They were ghosts that year. They drank; they pranked their neighbors; they embarrassed themselves, so drunk they forgot one another. But now that he really is a ghost, he pleads with her: please never forget the time we forgot about each other. She broke up with him because he was unhappy with himself. He lacked the confidence to leap after an unfamiliar trapeze. He wouldn’t let go of his hometown and reach out for the next thing like she did. (Ironic because, as kids, they used to imagine expeditions taking them over the square folds of their paper-map, its creases being like mountain ranges that boxed them in.) Their future turned out differently than he envisioned. The "frightened trapeze swinger" instead clung to what he knew. He now relates to animals that chase after distractions, after things they can't catch: the rain, trains, the colored birds above them. They run in circles. It's futile, but who the hell can see forever? Finding himself in a place where seasons never leave, he takes solace in the graffiti that promises the two of them will meet again. Maybe he can't reach her now, but he knows that she will one day find herself in this very waiting room. And so he too will spray paint on the pearly gates. He will draw a boy and girl (him and her), God (trust) and Lucifer (fear), a monkey (who he used to be) and a man (who he's come to be), an angel (her) kissing on a sinner (him).

[@andybundus7819]

thetrailorman1 beautiful interpretation

[@timothyhinchliff5405]

Beautiful!

[@Steef2608]

thetrailorman1 wow

[@jrock2270]

Very well said ❤️

[@brookecardoza8722]

Thank you for sharing ❤❤❤

[@hoodybaker8249]

This song is like looking back on childhood and the memories with tears in my eyes...such a bitter sweet feeling of loss of the past ,which we can only look back on but never get back.

[@shikharsrivastava6029]

i have been listening to this song for almost 6/7 years now and it still moves me as much as it did the very first time i heard it. i could say, its my favourite song of all time. its so beautiful and magical, words fail. anyone who has not listened to it is missing out big time.

[@zachforbes8621]

I've been listening to this song once a day, almost like coffee for the soul. Beautiful.

[@kimberlydejong6624]

I think of his songs as a hug for your soul. So beautiful.

[@sarceexplores]

I'm gonna say it, this song isn't special just because of Greg's vocals. Steve Varney's guitar is adding another depth to the feels of this song ❤️💯

[@harryvandegoor]

You're absolutely right!

[@Godschild77786]

Yes Love folks who point out the guys in the background giving their all Kudos to you

[@johnvogt9637]

Yes!

[@chrish4522]

Varney is a magician. Probably one of the most underrated musicians of all time.

[@kcap2210]

It’s my favorite part of the song…guitar is weeping

[@soundingplace2517]

This is possibly the most beautiful sad thing I've ever heard.

[@starrysky6632]

soundingplace very special!

[@ronriggs9954]

It's actually sad that you think this is beautiful because this is nothing at all, compared to the original! You really need to go back and listen to Iron & Wine's original

[@CultofThings]

Ron Riggs I like both, but liking one doesn’t devalue the other

[@johncomeau9245]

Amen

[@Marie-4207]

My Dad took his life on Nov 2nd this year, only 3 short weeks ago! This song gives me peace about the tragic situation. RIP Pops! 💔

[@3DCGdesign]

Marie, you meant the world to him. Sometimes, us men, our minds play tricks on us. We don't think anyone will understand, so we don't talk about it. It wasn't about you, Marie. It was about him. I'm glad this song can help somehow.

[@jeffcastle235]

Maria I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, I am grateful you've found comfort. Such a beautiful song.

[@Marie-4207]

@@3DCGdesign thank you ❤

[@Marie-4207]

@@jeffcastle235 thank you 💜

[@jeffcastle235]

@@Marie-4207 if you haven't heard it, check out his beautiful song San Luis.. really love it kzbin.info/www/bejne/bXOtaIB6hNJ_hqc

[@timfinnan7635]

I wouldn't trade the late nights I've listened to this on repeat for anything.

[@AndrewScott83815]

This song always comes up and I know it’s going to change my whole night. Can’t help it. I hope my brothers play this at my funeral.

[@rahang4126]

This voice and the sound of this Gibson speak to my soul. A song of 8 minutes that seems only 2 minutes long, it's pure magic.

[@JonDavies-r9u]

I honestly think this is the best cover of all time.

[@mennoplenter8821]

Yo i need this on spotify badly

[@ApexATL]

Menno Plenter YES

[@alexc8461]

Same

[@projectg408]

“Who the hell can see forever”? That’s just it... that’s exactly it

[@rochellebird6358]

Probably the best cover I have ever heard of this. I can listen to it 100 times and not tire of it.

[@kan5098]

It's absurd a song should be so beautiful.