Vince Gill‘s “Go Rest High on That Mountain” is one of the most beloved country songs of the past several decades, but the iconic singer-songwriter admits he’s always “thought it was unfinished.”
Gill has written a new, final verse to the classic song, which he’s been prforming at live shows for years.
The singer-songwriter and his wife, Amy Grant, perform a series of Christmas shows at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville every Christmas season, and Gill debuted the new verse during their 2019 dates.
What Inspired Vince Gill’s “Go Rest High on That Mountain”?
Gill began writing the song after the death of Keith Whitley from alcohol poisoning in 1989, writing a first verse that acknowledged how difficult his life had been and name-checking one of his biggest hits.
READ MORE: Vince Gill Is One of the Best Guitarists in Country Music
“I know your life on Earth was troubled / And only you could know the pain / You weren’t afraid to face the devil / You were no stranger to the rain,” he wrote.
But as a casual friend to Whitley, he felt awkward about the song, Gill tells People. “And so I put it away.”
Four years later, Gill’s older brother, Bob, died after suffering a heart attack, and Gill revived the song, writing the emotional chorus and a second verse.
How Did “Go Rest High on That Mountain” Do in the Charts?
The song reached No. 14, and it went on to win CMA and Grammy Awards. In the years since, it has become a staple at funerals and one of his most impactful songs, but Gill felt compelled to revisit the material.
“In all seriousness, as I looked at it as a piece of work, I thought it was unfinished in a way that a song should close the door and have an end and tell the whole story,” he related.
The new verse closes the song on an even more powerful note of Christian redemption.
“You’re safely home in the arms of Jesus / Eternal life, my brother’s found / The day will come I know I’ll see him / In that sacred place, on that holy ground,” he sings in the new rendition.
It’s been well-received during Gill’s recent shows. In fact, he said, “The whole place comes unglued.”
Still, Gill realized that it’s a risk. “Yeah, it doesn’t make much sense, does it?” he reflected. “Yeah, ‘Leave it alone, you idiot!’ That should be my mantra. But in my heart, I think this makes it better.”
“I don’t really know if I have any intention of recording it with this third verse,” he stated. “I was just sitting there thinking last night that if I take one of the [guitar] solos out of the original record and sing the third verse there, it would work. So I don’t have any idea of what’s to come of this other than I just did it. I’m going to start singing that last verse because I think it makes the song a lot better. Maybe I’m foolish, but I don’t think so.”
The 10 Best Vince Gill Songs
Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill has enjoyed a long, slow, steady climb to the top.
Over the course of his five decades in music, he’s become one of country music’s most beloved singers and musicians. Whether performing in the realm of bluegrass, mainstream radio country or rock, Gill has quietly become one of the genre’s most luminous hitmakers.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
Enjoy 22 Pictures of Vince Gill Young
Vince Gill started his solo career in Nashville in the early 1980s. Since then, he has recorded more than 20 studio albums, charted more than 40 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and sold more than 26 million albums. When it comes to winning awards, Gill is no slouch, either — he has won 22 Grammys and 18 CMAs lifetime. In 2007, Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Let’s take a look back at 22 pictures of Vince Gill young.
Gallery Credit: Evan Paul
