LISTEN: Kacey Musgraves Remixes 'Oh, What a World' for Earth Day

Kacey Musgraves has remixed her dreamy song "Oh, What a World" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The new version of the Golden Hour track adds a bit of '70s musical influence — bongos and acoustic guitar — as a nod to the holiday's establishment five decades ago, in 1970.

Musgraves' lyrics, which have not changed from the original version of the song, express wonderment at the world around her, but especially toward a special someone: "Oh, what a world, don't wanna leave / All kinds of magic all around us, it's hard to believe / Thank God it's not too good to be true / Oh, what a world, and then there is you," she sings in the chorus.

“There is a lot to feel downhearted about on this Earth Day. Everyone and everything feels out of balance. People are suffering and the future is uncertain," Musgraves says in a press release (quote via Rolling Stone), alluding to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has many people self-quarantined. "In the face of a pandemic that has brought cities to their knees, a song can feel small. A melody can seem insignificant. This is a global moment of acknowledgment and respect for the power of nature and for so many of us — extreme challenges and sadness."

Despite all of that sadness, Musgraves sees reasons for hope.

"There are signs everywhere of human compassion and renewal. The earth is healing. Bluer skies hang over China and Los Angeles. Clearer water and a positive effect on wildlife is being seen," she reflects. "In spite of all its troubles, it’s still a wild, beautiful world, and if you need proof, it’s out there. You just might have to look in a different corner of the sky."

In conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund, Musgraves has created the Kacey Musgraves Earth Day Fund to support the WWF's conservation efforts. She's also dedicating this new version of "Oh, What a World" to "all the quiet heroes" on the front lines of the fight against the coronavirus.

"Right now, there are so many brave people that deserve Medals of Honor: the nurses, doctors, grocers, the delivery and truck drivers, cashiers, gas station attendants, the scientists, restaurant workers, the single parents and so many others," Musgraves says. "I’m just a songwriter, but my hope is that if I bring the light I have in my spirit to the table, maybe it could be a form of energy that lifts someone else’s spirit for a moment."

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