Singer-songwriter Chris Smither has a unique approach to his cover of the Mississippi Sheiks’ “Sittin’ on Top of the World.” “I learned [it] 50 years ago and I just thought to myself, ‘I should slow this down because it’s not really a happy song,” he says of the often interpreted classic. “It’s bittersweet instead of being a joyful thing.”

This is just one of many great covers found on Smither’s 2018 album, Call Me Lucky. On this track, he’s playing his custom Collings 000 with a 12-fret, short scale neck, cutaway and a solid peghead. Listen to our interview with Smither on songwriting, guitars and more on the Fretboard Journal Podcast here.