About The Song
Released in June 2012 as a duet track on Don Williams’ studio album And So It Goes, “Imagine That” paired the veteran country artist with Keith Urban on a song written by Kieran Kane and Jamie O’Hara. The album appeared on Sugar Hill Records on June 19 in the United States, following an earlier April 30 rollout in certain international markets including the UK. Produced primarily by Garth Fundis with active input from Williams himself, the three-minute-12-second cut featured Urban on electric guitar and harmony vocals, fitting into a project that marked Williams’ first full studio effort since 2004.
By then in his early seventies, Williams had built a career on calm, direct country storytelling that earned him the nickname Gentle Giant. And So It Goes continued that approach with sparse arrangements and guest spots that included Alison Krauss on another duet and contributions from Vince Gill. The record reunited Williams with Fundis, the producer behind many of his 1970s and 1980s hits, while allowing Williams to shape sessions from the control room, including adjustments to rhythm patterns that reflected his instinctive feel for groove.
Keith Urban joined the project as a longtime admirer who had grown up listening to Williams’ music alongside his own father. During recording, Urban recalled Williams tapping out a fresh backbeat on the console that redefined the track’s feel, calling the moment an example of “the Don thing.” The pair worked on separate microphones to keep the exchange natural, creating a relaxed interplay between Williams’ warm baritone and Urban’s guitar work that bridged two generations of country sound.
The lyrics explore a quiet sense of absence and memory. They describe imagining an end to lonely nights and empty spaces, wishing for a lost love’s return while recreating shared moments in the mind. Set against an upbeat melody with acoustic and electric elements, the song’s contrast between hopeful tone and melancholic theme gave it an understated emotional pull that aligned with Williams’ signature restraint.
A music video directed by David McClister followed later in 2012. Shot in a laid-back style, it captured the two artists jamming guitars together, with brief private conversation clips included near the end to offer viewers a sense of the session’s easy atmosphere. The video complemented the album’s intimate feel and helped introduce the track to a new audience.
And So It Goes reached number 20 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and number 100 on the Billboard 200, showing sustained interest in Williams’ return after years away from recording. The duet stood out as one of the project’s highlights, illustrating how Williams’ unflashy delivery could connect with contemporary figures like Urban while staying true to the straightforward country roots that defined his catalog.
Following Williams’ death in 2017, Urban shared the video as a personal tribute, noting the deep influence Williams had on his own path and family. The collaboration remained a late-career moment that linked classic and modern country through simple honesty, capturing the kind of genuine exchange that marked much of Williams’ work over decades.
Video
Lyric
No more nights sleeping alone
in an empty bed, in an empty home
Someone to talk to
someone to hold in my armsImagine that, how sweet it’d be
To have you here again with me
Oh lord, I wish I had you back
But all I can do is imagine thatno more silence in the all
no more staring at the walls
someone to laugh with,
someone to share in my dreamsImagine that, how sweet it’d be
To have you here again with me
Oh lord, I wish I had you back
But all I can do is imagine thatImagine that, how sweet it’d be
To have you here again with me
Oh lord, I wish I had you back
But all I can do is imagine thatImagine that, how sweet it’d be
To have you here again with me
Oh lord, I wish I had you back
But all I can do is imagine thatImagine that, how sweet it’d be
To have you here again with me
Oh lord, I wish I had you back
But all I can do is imagine that