"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.

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.

"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," 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." 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. Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine was less favorable, calling the song "somewhat strident and inorganic."

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

Chart (2010–2011)Peak position
Weekly charts Chart (2010–2011) Peak position Canada Country (Billboard) 1 Canada Hot 100 (Billboard) 47 US Hot Country Songs (Billboard) 1 US Billboard Hot 100 29 Year-end charts Chart (2011) Position US Country Songs (Billboard) 39 US Billboard Hot 100 99Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales Canada (Music Canada) Gold 40,000* New Zealand (RMNZ) Gold 15,000‡ United States (RIAA) 2× Platinum 2,017,000 * Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Canada Country (Billboard)1
Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)47
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)1
US Billboard Hot 10029
Chart (2011)Position
US Country Songs (Billboard)39
US Billboard Hot 10099
RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)Gold40,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)Gold15,000‡
United States (RIAA)2× Platinum2,017,000
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

External links