Song Lyric Sunday – “In Color”

This week Jim Adams has prompted us with choosing a song pertaining to Colors for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday. The song I chose this week is “In Color” by Jamey Johnson.

This song is a tribute to the generation of people that were my grandparents. I fell in love with this song when I heard it the first time. My grandparents got married when they were 17 & 18. My grandmother lied about her age to marry my grandfather, who her daddy didn’t approve of. They ran away together. My grandfather served in the Army. They were married in 1926, lived through the Great Depression, World War II and so many other historical milestones. They were financial poor their entire lives, but rich in so many other ways. My grandparents were 3 weeks shy of celebrating 63 years together when my grandfather had a major stroke and died a week later in August, 1989. My grandmother lived another 11 years and passed in December, 2000 at the age of 91, a week before her 92 birthday. This song reminds me of them!

Pa Pete and Ma Kate, Bridgeport, Texas, 1950

“In Color” shows great imagery of days gone by. I heard this song on the radio before ever seeing the video. As I listened to the lyrics, my imagination went straight to the black and white photos of my grandparents where I imagined them in color. The video was so well done and exactly as I imagined!

Song Facts:

• Written by James Otto, Jamey Johnson & Lee Thomas Miller.
• Released on March 31, 2008.
• It is the first single from his second album That Lonesome Song.
• It is the first top 10 hit for Johnson, reaching #9 on the US Hot Country Songs and reached #52 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
• It stayed on the country charts as an active single for 40 weeks.
• It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 9, 2010.
• Won “Song of the Year” at the Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) on April 5, 2009.
• Nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song at the 51st Grammy Awards broadcast on February 8, 2009, but lost to “Letter to Me” by Brad Paisley and “Stay” by Sugarland, respectively.

In Color

I said, "Grandpa what's this picture here?
It's all black and white, and it ain't real clear
Is that you there?" He said "yeah, I was 11"
"Times were tough back in '35
That's me and uncle Joe just tryin' to survive A cotton farm
In a great depression
If it looks like we were scared to death
Like a couple of kids just tryin' to save each other
You should've seen it in color"
"Oh, and this one here was taken over seas
In the middle of hell in 1943
In the winter time
You can almost see my breath
That was my tail gunner ol' Johnny Magee
He was a high school teacher from New Orleans
And he had my back
Right through the day we left
If it looks like we were scared to death
Like a couple of kids just tryin' to save each other
You should've seen it in color"
A picture's worth a thousand words
But you can't see what those shades of gray keep covered
You should've seen it in color
"This one is my favorite one
This is me and grandma in the summer sun
All dressed up
The day we said our vows
You can't tell it here but it was hot that June
And that rose was red and her eyes were blue
And just look at that smile
I was so proud
That's the story of my life
Right there in black and white"
And if it looks like we were scared to death
Like a couple of kids just tryin' to save each other
You should've seen it in color
Yeah, A pictures worth a thousand words
But you cant see what those shades of gray keep covered
You should've seen it in color
(Should've seen it in Color)
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: James Otto / Jamey Johnson / Lee Thomas Miller
In Color lyrics © Warner-tamerlane Publishing Corp., Emi Blackwood Music Inc., Big Gassed Hitties, Eldorotto Music Publishing, New Songs Of Sea Gayle, Spirit Catalogue Holdings, S.a.r.l.