Stephen Colbert and John Prine, performing “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round” in 2016.
John Prine appeared on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in 2016. And in addition to singing “I’m Telling You” (from his then-new album, For Better or Worse) with Holly Williams, he and Colbert dueted on Prine’s warm, whimsical “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round,” an older song. The duet with Colbert was not included in the broadcast but was posted online.
Longtime Montclair resident Colbert told the studio audience, before they performed it, that it wouldn’t be on the broadcast, but would stay internet-only “unless something terrible happens and we have to cheer up the world.”
Well, the world happens to be in need of cheering up. And so, probably, does Prine himself. This week, it became known that Prine is suffering from the coronavirus (though he’s in stable condition), and in response to that, Colbert wished him well on last night’s show, and played the clip on television for the first time.
In his introduction, Colbert called it “one of the happiest moments I’ve had on my show, or any show,” and he certainly seems thrilled during the performance, and rises to the occasion with a good vocal performance as well.
You can watch the clip here:
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