Andrew Bird’s Townes Van Zandt cover gives Americana new meaning

If we asked you for the top five classic songs of Americana, Townes Van Zandt’s “If I Needed You” might well make the cut. And now that Andrew Bird has laid his handiwork to it, Americana has been given a whole new meaning.

Bird’s rendition, released in anticipation of his new release Hands of Glory out later this month, transports the prototypical 1996 country tune back to a Revolutionary dance hall with ceremonious violin (would it be a true Bird song without it?) and a tempo conducive to call and response.

The song will accompany a few other country covers and rearrangements of Break It Yourself tracks on the October 30th companion piece, brought to us by Mom + Pop Music. Bird only has a handful of US dates left before he ships off for a Europe-y November.