When country singer Rory Feek speaks, fans lean in. When he sings, they hold their breath. But now, a previously unreleased lullaby — one that Rory quietly wrote for his daughter, Indiana (“Indy”), on the day his beloved wife Joey Feek passed away in March 2016 — has resurfaced. And the story behind it is breaking hearts all over again.
A Love Story That Touched the World
Rory and Joey’s love story was unlike any other. Their journey as the duo Joey+Rory was always about more than music. It was about faith, family, and a kind of unconditional devotion that shone brightest when life was at its hardest.
In 2014, their daughter Indiana was born with Down syndrome, a moment that Rory has often said brought new meaning to their marriage. But less than two years later, tragedy struck. Joey lost her battle with cervical cancer at just 40 years old, leaving Rory to raise Indy alone.
Fans across the globe watched as Rory chronicled their final months together with raw honesty on his blog, This Life I Live. Those entries became both a farewell to Joey and a roadmap for healing.
The Song He Couldn’t Sing
On the day Joey died, Rory revealed he did something he’d never done before: he wrote a song he couldn’t bring himself to sing.
“I sat down in the quiet after everyone had left the room,” Rory reportedly told close friends. “Indy was asleep, Joey was gone, and I just started writing. The words came like a prayer. But I never sang it. I couldn’t. It was too heavy.”
The lullaby, simply titled “One More Dream of You,” was written for Indy as a way of explaining loss and holding onto hope. The lyrics, though never performed live, circulated quietly among a few of Rory’s family and collaborators. For years, it remained private, a song tucked away in the pages of a worn notebook.
Why Now?
Nearly a decade later, a small clip of Rory humming the melody while strumming his guitar has resurfaced on social media. It was part of a behind-the-scenes video filmed in 2016, never meant for public release. Fans who discovered it began sharing, and within days, the hashtag #RorysLullaby was trending.
The response has been overwhelming. Comments range from “This broke me” to “Joey would be so proud of the way he’s loving Indy.”
The Lyrics That Broke Millions
Although Rory has never officially performed the lullaby, fragments of the lyrics have leaked through fans who’ve heard the demo. The final line, in particular, is leaving listeners in tears:
“Sleep now, my darling, your mama’s still near — in every prayer, in every tear.”
It is this line — tender, raw, and devastating — that encapsulates Rory’s journey. Fans say it feels like the final page of the love story he and Joey shared with the world.
Fans React: “I’m Still Crying”
Social media has been flooded with emotional responses:
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“I can’t stop crying. The love in this man’s words is more powerful than anything on the charts today.”
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“This should never be just a ‘lost song.’ It belongs to Indy. It belongs to Joey.”
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“Sometimes music isn’t about radio. Sometimes it’s about survival.”
For many, the resurfacing of the lullaby is a reminder of how Rory and Joey taught millions how to face grief with grace.
A Father’s Ongoing Journey
Since Joey’s passing, Rory has dedicated his life to raising Indy on their Tennessee farm. His blog entries, books, and occasional performances are deeply rooted in faith and fatherhood.
He has said before: “My greatest role isn’t as a singer or songwriter. It’s as Indy’s dad.”
The lullaby — private for so long — seems to symbolize that calling. It wasn’t written for the radio, for the charts, or even for fans. It was written for a little girl who lost her mother far too soon, and for a father who needed words when words weren’t enough.
Will He Ever Release It?
Fans are already petitioning for Rory to record the lullaby officially, perhaps as part of a tribute album or charity project for families affected by cancer or Down syndrome.
When asked about releasing it, Rory simply said: “Some songs are meant for the world. Some are meant for one heart. Maybe someday I’ll know which this one is.”
For now, the song remains an intimate piece of his story, a private love letter that escaped into the world by accident — but maybe also by providence.
A Legacy Carried in Song
What makes this story so powerful isn’t just the song itself, but what it represents. Rory Feek has shown that music doesn’t need to be sung on stage to matter. Sometimes, the songs that stay hidden carry the most weight.
“One More Dream of You” may never be performed in a concert hall. But in the quiet of a farmhouse in Tennessee, where a father tucks his daughter into bed, it already fulfills its purpose.
Final Thoughts
A decade after Joey’s passing, Rory continues to live out the vow he made to her — to love and raise Indy with joy, faith, and music. The resurfacing of this lullaby is a reminder that grief never truly ends, but love doesn’t either.
As one fan wrote: “This isn’t just a song. It’s a heartbeat.”
And perhaps that is why, even though Rory Feek has never sung the lullaby out loud, millions feel like they’ve heard it already.
