Dolly Parton takes the lead while Alison Krauss harmonizes on their new cover of Roger Miller's ballad "The Last Word in Lonesome is Me" for the upcoming double album, King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller. Parton flawlessly sings the simple, yet clever ballad that includes wordplay like, "Too bad what's happened to our good love," and "Life is a desert and love quenches thirst," to convey the wily woe of heartbreak.
"The Last Word in Lonesome is Me" marked the third single for Miller off of his 1965 record The 3rd Time Around. The song didn't perform as well as his previous two singles off of the album, "Engine, Engine #9" and "Kansas City Star," but overall, the record received several accolades. The 3rd Time Around was Miller's only album to reach no. 1 on the country album charts and it ranked no. 13 on the Billboard 200. And although "The Last Word in Lonesome is Me" didn't shine as bright as his previous singles, Miller's songwriting proved strong as it became a hit for both Eddy Arnold and Terry Bradshaw when they covered the track for their own records.
READ MORE: Hear Loretta Lynn Cover Roger Miller's "Half a Mind" for Upcoming Tribute Album
In addition to Parton's cover, Brad Paisley's song for the upcoming tribute album was also released. Paisley is the perfect choice to take on the humor of "Dang Me," Miller's 1964 Grammy Award-winning hit for Best Country & Western Song.
Parton and Paisley will be joined by an impressive list of other artists paying tribute to Miller on the double album, including Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson singing "Old Friends," a song they recorded before Haggard's death. Kacey Musgraves, Loretta Lynn, Jamey Johnson and Emmylou Harris, Huey Lewis, Rodney Crowell, Lyle Lovett, Eric Church, Asleep at the Wheel and Ringo Starr also appear on the record. Mark your calendar - King of the Road: A Tribute to Roger Miller will be released on August 31.
