Micah Nelson gave his dad Willie Nelson an early Father’s Day present with the new Particle Kid single, “Die When I’m High (Halfway To Heaven)”.

From Micah’s opening line, “Well I figured Trigger would outlive my liver/But I’m still here writing songs,” the track reveals itself as a letter of admiration from son to father. More sentimental than even the best Hallmark card, the younger Nelson litters the lyrics with tributes to his pops while Willie turns in a somber reflection on the passage of time, “I never expected my redneck confessions would be sung by this old man.” The song traces the family bloodline from Micah’s indie-rock stylings back to his father’s prolific songwriting abilities.

Related: Micah Nelson’s Particle Kid Shares New Songs Featuring Jim James, Willie Nelson [Videos]

Micah Nelson said of the song,

Sometime back in December 2020, in between endless rounds of chess and dominos, my dad looked up at me and said, ‘If I die when I’m high I’ll be halfway to heaven. It took me a second to process, but I said, ‘Dad, that’s the best song title I ever heard. You better write the rest of it quick.’ He said. ‘Why don’t you write it?’ So I did. That night I wrote it for him, about him. It’s really just a love letter to him.

 At the same time I realized it’s also a sort of ‘f*ck you’ to anyone who ever thought of me as some lost prodigal son who doesn’t understand him or respect his legacy just because I’ve never imitated his style or pandered to his audience. HE is the one who gave me my Particle Kid moniker after all.

We are both freaks, in our time. I’m no prodigal son. I am HIS Particle Kid. I would never try to be him, or even pretend, because nobody will ever be him. But believe it or not, I do relate to the Willie fans because I am one of them. They know how incredible and one of a kind he is. So this song is for the real Willie fans too. They get it.

Watch the Micah Nelson-directed music video for the new Particle Kid single “Die When I’m High (Halfway To Heaven)” featuring Willie Nelson. The two will hit the road later this month for the traveling Outlaw Music Festival along with a rotating lineup of artists including  Billy Strings, The Avett Brothers, Chris Stapleton, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, ZZ Top, Gov’t Mule, and more.

Particle Kid – “Die When I’m High (Halfway To Heaven)” (ft. Willie Nelson)