Bon Jovi Joins Jennifer Nettles for Revamped ‘Do What You Can’
Bon Jovi has again teamed with Jennifer Nettles, frontwoman of the country band Sugarland, this time for an updated version of “Do What You Can.”
The single, originally released by Bon Jovi back in April, details America’s ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. With lyrics discussing social distance, PPE and frontline responders, the song touches on many topics which have become commonplace in 2020 society. Still, “Do What You Can” strikes an uplifting tone, it’s chorus praising the unbreakable human spirit:
“When you can't do what you do / You do what you can / This ain't my prayer, it's just a thought I'm wanting to send / 'Round here we bend but don't break / Down here, we all understand / When you can't do what you do / You do what you can.”
With Nettles in the fold, the updated version of “Do What You Can” boasts a new country twang. The singer trades vocal parts with Jon Bon Jovi, while fiddle and banjo highlight a broadened musical arrangement.
“As I finished the mix and did the video [for the album version], I said, ‘Boy, this song would have such crossover potential,’” Jon Bon Jovi explained to Rolling Stone. “Jennifer was my first choice, and she said yes.”
The music video, featuring a masked Bon Jovi exploring the city if New York, also received an update. Nettles is now added throughout the clip, including a rousing performance high atop a Big Apple building. Watch the video for the new version of “Do What You Can” below.
This isn’t the first time that Bon Jovi and Nettles have collaborated. The two famously teamed in 2006 on the song "Who Says You Can't Go Home," which peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and earned both artists a Grammy Award.
Bon Jovi’s upcoming album 2020 – featuring the original version of “Do What You Can” – is due for release Oct. 2.
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