Vince Gill - "Threaten Me With Heaven"

While five years is normally a very, very long time to go between records, Vince Gill’s choice to wait was probably a smart one.

With the hiatus over, Vince Gill is back with “Threaten Me With Heaven,” a poignant new song that feels like a partner to join “Go Rest High On That Mountain” as a great song about facing death down with lyrics like:

“What’s the worst thing that could happen if they say my time is through/ Can they take away the love or the years I’ve shared with you/ What’s the worst thing that could happen, what’s the worst that they can do/ Threaten me with heaven, that’s all they can do.”

Written with wife Amy Grant, Dillon O’Brian and the late Will Owsley, “Threaten Me With Heaven” features a forceful vocal from Vince Gill that’s as good as anything he’s released over the course of his career while the melody recalls “I Hope You Dance” with a gospel chorus singing in the background while Vince’s guitar does the talking on a strong solo and remains more than audible throughout the song.

Perhaps the only problem Vince Gill faces with country radio accepting the song is that his last Top 20 hit on the chart was a full eight years ago when “Next Big Thing” hit #15. The last Top 10 single was “Feels Like Love” in the year 2000. If radio’s still willing to play George Strait and Alan Jackson and Reba McEntire can make a comeback, why can’t Vince Gill? Particularly with a strong single like “Threaten Me With Heaven.”

Here’s hoping that radio does welcome him back with open arms.