Colder Weather

"Colder Weather" is a song by American country music group Zac Brown Band. Lead singer Zac Brown co-wrote the song with Coy Bowles (the band's keyboardist and guitarist), Wyatt Durrette and Levi Lowrey. It is the band's seventh single release overall, and the second single from their 2010 album You Get What You Give.

"Colder Weather"
Single by Zac Brown Band
from the album You Get What You Give
Released	December 20, 2010 (2010-12-20)
Genre	Country
Length	4:35
Label	Atlantic/Southern Ground
Songwriter(s)	Zac Brown Wyatt Durrette Levi Lowrey Coy Bowles
Producer(s)	Zac Brown Keith Stegall
Zac Brown Band singles chronology
"As She's Walking Away" (2010) "Colder Weather" (2010) "Knee Deep" (2011)

Content

The lyric is about a trucker who is on the road, and separated from his lover due to the weather. Co-writer Wyatt Durrette told The Boot:

There was a girl I was seeing, who lived in Kansas City. We really liked each other, but geography and timing just wasn't working for us. She was getting pretty frustrated with the whole thing and wanted me to slow down, as far as traveling so much and all those things. I wasn't willing to do that because we were just getting started, and I'm chasing my dreams.^[1]

"Colder Weather" is in the key of E-flat major, with the guitars set to E♭ tuning. In this song, Brown's vocals range from B♭2 to A♭4.

Critical reception

The song has received primarily positive reviews from critics. Jessica Phillips of Country Weekly, in her review of the album, called it "lyrically profound,"^[2] and Eric R. Danton of the Hartford Courant said that it was the "sorrowful, solitary kind of song with an old-school country-ballad feel made for crisp nights in the high country."^[3] Giving it a "thumbs up," Karlie Justus of Engine 145 called it "loneliness and longing set to music", also praising the production and lyrics. She compared the song's style to Merle Haggard.^[4] Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine was less favorable, calling the song "somewhat strident and inorganic."^[5]

Music video

The music video was directed by Darren Doane and premiered in February 2011. Australian actor Liam Hemsworth appeared in the video portraying the male character who temporarily leaves his girlfriend during the winter. Tori McPetrie portrays his girlfriend.

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts Chart (2010–2011) Peak position Canada Country (Billboard)[6] 1 Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[7] 47 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[9] 29 Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position US Country Songs (Billboard)[10] 39 US Billboard Hot 100[11] 99

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales Canada (Music Canada)[12] Gold 40,000* United States (RIAA)[13] 2× Platinum 2,017,000[14] * Sales figures based on certification alone.

References

1. Conaway, Alanna (March 1, 2011). "Zac Brown Band, 'Colder Weather' – Story Behind the Lyrics". The Boot. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
2. Phillips, Jessica (September 17, 2010). "You Get What You Give : Zac Brown Band – Reviews – Country Weekly Magazine". Country Weekly. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
3. Danton, Eric R. (September 21, 2010). "You Get What You Give : Zac Brown Band – Reviews – Country Weekly Magazine". The Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
4. Justus, Karlie (January 12, 2011). "Zac Brown Band — "Colder Weather"". Engine 145. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
5. Keefe, Jonathan (September 19, 2010). "Zac Brown Band: You Get What You Give". Slant Magazine. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
6. "Zac Brown Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
7. "Zac Brown Band Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard.
8. "Zac Brown Band Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
9. "Zac Brown Band Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
10. "Best of 2011: Country Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2011.
11. "Best of 2011: Hot 100 Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
12. "Canadian single certifications – Zac Brown Band – Colder Weather". Music Canada. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
13. "American single certifications – Zac Brown Band – Colder Weather". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
14. Bjorke, Matt (February 16, 2016). "The Top 30 Digital Country Singles: February 16, 2016".

External links

• Official Music Video