Desiree

Album: The Sound of a Million Dreams (2011)
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Songfacts®:

  • This song dates back to Keith Urban's days as lead singer of the country trio Ranch. Co-written by him with Vernon Rust, it featured on their self-titled 1997 debut album. Nail explained to Roughstock why he decided to cover the tune: "There are a couple of records that really influenced me when I first moved to town, and that is one of them. 'Desiree' starts out like a ballad, but ends up a bona fide up-tempo song. I don't write a lot of tempo, and I don't want to cut a tempo song just for the sake of it. It wouldn't really speak to me. But this feels like it fit the sound of the record. It's a song that bridges some of the more produced stuff, like 'Let It Rain,' with the more loose songs like 'Grandpa's Farm.'"
  • Nail had considered performing this song in his live sets and was working on it in sound check, when one of his A&R guys called asking him about cutting it. However, he told The Boot he found it difficult recording the tune. "I'd never really sang it consistently," he explained, "and was very nervous about our arrangement, but some people who are close to Keith convinced me that Keith will respect you for doing your own thing with it and staying true to yourself. I feel like we paid tribute to the original but at the same time kind of made it a David Nail song, too."

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