Manu Chao Willie Nelson Duet on Heavens Bad Day

The Song “Heaven’s Bad Day” is on Manu Chao’s New Album

No one could feel down singing with Willie Nelson, which explains why Manu Chao sounds so happy in their duet “Heaven’s Bad Day” on his new album, Viva Tu.

Both artists sing, “Nobody come to visit my heavens today,” over fast guitar strumming, harmonica, and a touch of triangle. The video shows black-and-white clips of kids being mischievous in cute ways, matching the song’s playful vibe. Chao said, “You always feel you have to live in this comfortable little paradise, but that can get boring pretty quickly when you’re not in the company of a little he-devil or she-devil. You need to shake things up a bit!”

Chao shared his joy when Nelson accepted the song without any changes. “Once he accepted my song and agreed to sing it, which was an honor for me, I gave myself permission to record it. The fact that this country song was approved by Willie Nelson makes me very happy. It’s a real honor and I’m super proud of it.”

Fans think it’s great when artists collaborate like this.

The song fits well with the rest of the album, which includes the single “São Paulo Motoboy” and celebrates everyday heroes. Chao explained, “The album is called Viva Tu, ‘long live you!’ Believe in yourself. I believe in you. In this society… we are never beautiful enough. We are never smart enough. Because everything you see on the internet or on TV, they are all smarter than you, more beautiful than you. They are all richer than you, more glamorous than you, so you want to be like them. And that’s where all the slip-ups start. So, the message is ‘long live you’ as you are naturally. Believe in yourself — it only depends on you to be a beautiful person.”