Cool musicians doing covers of Coldplay songs are all the the rage these days. Robyn did an amazing version of “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” back in July, and Odd Future’s Frank Ocean did an absolutely killer version of “Strawberry Swing” on his Nostalgia, Ultra. This is a trend I can get behind. I’m probably not near the Coldplay hater most internet denizens are, but it seems like their songs are almost always better when they’re performed by other artists. And now we can add Willie Nelson to that growing list of artists who’ve one-upped Coldplay with a cover, I think.
Yes, country music’s aging hippie stoner has covered Coldplay’s “The Scientist” for a Chipotle ad campaign that will soon run in movie theaters nationwide. The animated video — titled “Back to the Start” — shows a farmer who allowed his organic farm to be turned into a factory farm and regrets the error of his ways. It’s meant to convey a message anyone who’s seen Food, Inc. already knows: That factory farms are inhumane and put out inferior, unhealthy products. You can download the song for 60 cents on iTunes — all proceeds go to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which supports sustainable agriculture and education.
With all of that out of the way, the Willie Nelson/Chipotle marriage seems like a perfect one, doesn’t it? Could an environment-friendly burrito restaurant chain pick a better celebrity spokesperson than the world’s biggest hippie stoner? Even Snoop Dogg can’t hang with Willie!
And to anyone who wants to bust Willie’s balls for a) covering Coldplay or b) shilling for Chipotle, I’d like to remind you that ALL THAT WEED DOES NOT PAY FOR ITSELF!!!