“I look for trouble and I found it, son / Straight down the barrel of a law man’s gun.”
– “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”

On Thursday, Aug. 6, Chris Stapleton surprised concertgoers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, by bringing out Zach Top for a very special duet.

Performing a song that is suited to their strengths as artists who lean outlaw while appreciating traditional country, Stapleton and Top sang a lively rendition of “I Ain’t Living Long Like This.”

The song, which was a No. 1 hit for Waylon Jennings in 1979, continues to be an ode to life on the wild side, thanks in part to the likes of Stapleton and Top who have kept that spirit alive.

Watch Zach Top Join Chris Stapleton For A Lively Duet Of “I Ain’t Living Long Like This”

“Please welcome to stage Mr. Zach Top,” said Chris Stapleton partway through his set in Toronto.

Zach Top was the opener at this show on the Canadian leg of Stapleton’s ongoing All-American Road Show

Considering that Stapleton has an “Outlaw State of Mind,” and Top can admittedly say a statement like “Ain’t In It For My Health,” a song with the energy and message of “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” was more than fitting.

While the song was popularized in 1979 by Waylon Jennings, “I Ain’t Living Long Like This” was previously recorded by Gary Stewart in 1977 and Emmylou Harris in 1978.

Stapleton has famously performed this song live on several occasions, and has even performed it as a duet with other artists, including Marty Stuart, Marcus King, and more.

Watch Chris Stapleton perform it live with Zach Top, here:

See another angle of the performance, here:

Watch Waylon Jennings, who recorded the song in 1979, perform the song live at the inaugural Farm Aid in 1985, here:

Watch Emmylou Harris perform the song in 1978 on the Dutch music show TopPop, here: