When you have lost a loved one, the holiday season can be tough. This is true for country singer Cole Swindell who lost his father two years ago. Swindell has found a beautiful way to remember his dad through his newest video for his song “You Should Be Here”. The song was written for his father, who was a big force in Swindell’s life and sadly did not get to see his son’s success as he rises in country music today.
“He supported me and was so proud. That’s what chokes me up today, hearing other people say, ‘God, you have no idea how much he talked about you.’ That chills me,” Swindell told Rolling Stone.
The video perfectly captures Swindell’s mixed emotions as it shows the very beginning of his ride to Nashville with a phone conversation with his father in 2013, sharing the news of his record deal with Warner music. The rest of the video shows the big moments in Swindell’s career thus far alternating between him visiting his father’s grave and struggling to cope with his loss.
The song was written by Swindell and Ashley Gorley.
“I think that’s why I moved to Nashville, is to write a song like this,” he says. “Just growing up, loving ‘90s country music, there were songs that touched me. There were fun ones, but there were also the ones I could relate to, and I think this is going to be that song when people get to hear it.”
Not surprisingly, this song means a lot to Swindell.
“It’s, by far, my favorite song that I think I’ve written,” Swindell says.
The video was directed by Michael Monaco, who did a fantastic job of catching Swindell’s grief and happiness over his bittersweet success.
Watch the heartfelt video for “You Should Be Here” from Cole Swindell below!
