Keith Urban Calls on ‘We Were’ Writer Eric Church for New Duet of the Song [Listen]
Keith Urban has called on "We Were" co-writer Eric Church for a new rendition of the nostalgic song.
Urban shared the duet with fans on Monday (Oct. 21) after teasing the collaboration on Instagram the day before. While the arrangement remains the same — with an acoustic guitar and banjo over pop-leaning melody — the track is refreshed with Church's contribution.
Urban takes lead on the first verse, and Church comes in on the second verse, flexing the edge in his voice leading into the chorus. "At least there's a little bit of sweet in the bitter / Though a part of me is always gonna miss her / I am who I am / I just miss who I was when we were," Church croons, with Urban's harmonies echoing in the background before they unite on the final chorus.
Church ends the reflective song on a tender note, softly delivering the closing lines that find the narrator pondering that he believes he and his lover were meant to be.
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Urban released "We Were" (written by Church, Jeff Hyde and Ryan Tyndel), as a single in May of 2019, explaining that he didn't realize Church was one of the co-writers until after he recorded it.
"I found out and I called Eric, and I was like, 'Dude, I just cut this song.' He was thrilled. I said, 'I had no idea that you were a writer on it.' He said, 'Well that's even better, because it means you really loved the song.' I said, 'I do, I love the song,'" Urban recalls.
The "Mr. Misunderstood" hitmaker has acknowledged that the song is a better fit for Urban, as the line referencing "two heartbeats in the moonlight in leather jackets on a back of a Harley" are true to his life — Urban and wife Nicole Kidman used to ride his motorcycle together when they first started dating.
"I truly believe songs find the path that they’re supposed to find, and that one was supposed to be with him," Church shares.
"We Were" is currently in the top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
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