MercyMe and Walker Hayes Open Up About Navigating Grief, Meeting Jesus and Their Song, ‘Oh Death’

Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2025 by Michaela Halfast

At first, MercyMe frontman Bart Millard was reluctant to listen to a song pitch from Walker Hayes. It’s not that Millard wasn’t a fan – he’d been one since hearing Haye’s 2017 song “Craig” – but MercyMe was nearing the completion of their twelfth studio album, “Wonder & Awe,” and it felt too late to throw another track into the mix. But after listening to the demo en route to be with his terminally ill father-in-law, Millard couldn’t deny its divine timing. “Oh Death” quickly became the album’s lead single.

“It’s a weird song,” Millard admits with a grin. “It makes you want to dance, and it talks about a topic that’s pretty heavy. It just works.”

In this vulnerable couch conversation, Millard and Hayes sit down with Carlos & Amy to dive deep into the story behind their No. 1 song, “Oh Death.” Hayes also shares about the unlikely friendship that led to his salvation and inspired his song, “Craig.”

RELATED CONTENT: VIDEO: MercyMe Remembers ‘The Moment’ They Met Jesus

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Carlos & AmyK-LOVE InterviewMercyMeWalker HayesBehind the Music

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