music
March 2, 2026
My guitar was mangled
I’m grateful to Taylor Swift, and others who have covered it, for introducing the song to a new generation. Three billion streams on Spotify is astonishing!

TL;DR
- The song 'Iris' was written for the movie 'City of Angels' during a difficult personal time for the songwriter.
- The song's title was inspired by Iris DeMent's name, seen in a gig guide.
- The recording process involved a string arrangement and collaboration with session guitarist Tim Pierce.
- The song was initially not favored by the main label but was picked up by a subsidiary, Reprise.
- Taylor Swift and others covering the song introduced it to a new generation, leading to billions of Spotify streams.
- The band received three Grammy nominations for the song.
- Despite its success, the movie used a solo acoustic version of the song, which was later included on the soundtrack.
- The song 'Iris' has become the band's most significant hit, overshadowing their other music.
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