John Baumann Offers New Spin on Robert Earl Keen’s ‘Love’s a Word I Never Throw Around’

John Baumann's 2017 album Proving Ground, established the Texas native as a force to be reckoned with in the Texas scene. His song with Mike and the Moonpies "Trouble with Drinking" was one of our favorites in 2018, and landing that cut on Kenny Chesney's album Gulf Moon was a major accomplishment for the independent artist.

Most recently Baumann was included on Bruce Robison's latest The Last Waltz compilation album, contributing a cover of Robert Earl Keen's "Love's a Word I Never Throw Around."

Baumann tells Wide Open Country, "I think 'Love's a Word I Never Throw Around' is one of the finest love songs to date. It doesn't mince words, and reinforces the importance of the most powerful emotions humans have: love. We record this song in one take. I used a pawn shop nylon string that I couldn't sell for $20 on Craigslist. But that's the magic of the song. It's not about the bells and the whistles. It's about the song - the lyric, the emotion. I'll always be proud of the version we did."

Coming in 2020, William Clark Green, Josh Abbott, Cleto Cordero (Flatland Cavalry), and John Baumann are "The Panhandlers." More details here.