Introduction
“Waltz of the Angels”: A Song Where Love Lives Beyond Goodbye
Few country songs capture the ache of remembering a loved one quite like “Play Me the Waltz of the Angels,” a song co-written by Rory Lee Feek and Dennis Knutson. Although it is sometimes simply called “Waltz of the Angels,” it is important to distinguish it from the earlier 1956 country song of the same name, written by Dick Reynolds and Jack Rhodes and first recorded by Wynn Stewart.
Rory Feek and Dennis Knutson’s song tells a quiet, deeply human story. A musician performs at a gathering for older people and notices a grieving man sitting alone. When asked what song he would like to hear, the man requests “the Waltz of the Angels,” explaining that it was the song his wife loved most. It had been playing when they first met—and again when she was laid to rest. The song transforms a familiar country melody into a story about memory, marriage, grief, and the hope of dancing with someone we have lost.
The song was recorded by The Derailers on their 1999 album Full Western Dress, with Buck Owens featured on the track. Later, it became part of the musical story of Joey + Rory, with Joey and Rory Feek performing their own version. Music listings credit Feek and Knutson as the original songwriters.
That history gives the song an especially poignant connection to the Feek family. Joey Feek died in 2016, and her musical legacy has continued through the songs she recorded and the family memories surrounding her.
A recent claim says that Indiana Feek performed “Waltz of the Angels” as a tribute to her mother. While that specific performance should be verified from a reliable primary source before being presented as established fact, the symbolism of the song is unmistakable: a melody about remembering an angel, holding onto love, and keeping precious memories alive through music.