Duluth

Miranda Lambert and HARDY bring Nashville to tears with unreleased song “Dog Years.”

Eira Gwyneth October 13, 2024

Saturday night (October 5) was a day for the dogs in Nashville as Miranda Lambert hosted a special benefit show called Music For Mutts.

As Vanderbilt football fans rushed down Broadway to drop the goal post into the Cumberland River after their stunning victory over the venerated Alabama Crimson Tide (no, that’s not a joke), gathered a sold-out crowd at Music City’s Ascend Amphitheater to celebrate country music and its furry friends.

With a huge list of country music friends including Riley Green, Dan + Shay, Little Big Town, Ashley Monroe, Natalie Hemby and Lukas Nelson, one of the most tender moments of the evening came when country rocker HARDY took the stage to sing his fabled , unreleased song “Dog Years.”

HARDY, who has become a legend over the last decade, wrote the tear-jerking song back in 2013, earning him his first-ever publishing deal and paving the way for the award-winning songwriter he is today.

“I owe a lot to this song,” HARDY remarked before breaking off the song. “What an honor it is to play it for you and with you tonight, Miranda.”

With its absolutely perfect harmonies, the entirely acoustic song tells the story of a dog’s life from the four-legged friend’s perspective. From picking up on the side of the road to a second chance at life full of adventure, love and lots of head scratches, Dog Years chronicles the puppies’ journey to crossing the Rainbow Bridge.

“This was the best life I could have asked for / Bruises and cuts covered in mud / Feet up on the dashboard, picking up girls / Nothing to worry about but you and me / We make a good team / You took me in when I had no prayer / That was the best life I could have asked for now, looking back on those dog years” the couple sang, silencing the entire crowd.

It was a more than fitting donation for the evening, with proceeds going to Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation, which was founded in 2009 and has raised over $10 million in its lifetime.

To encourage adoption of shelter animals, increase spaying and neutering, and educate the public about the benefits of these measures, MuttNation also works with transportation partners to assist and relocate animals during times of natural disasters, such as the recent devastation caused by Hurricane Helene .

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