In Color ( song ) - wikipedia In Color ( song ) `` In Color '' Single by Jamey Johnson from the album That Lonesome Song Released March 31, 2008 Format CD single Genre Country Length 4 : 51 ( album version ) 3 : 49 ( radio edit ) Label Mercury Nashville Songwriter ( s ) Jamey Johnson Lee Thomas Miller James Otto Producer ( s ) The Kent Hardly Playboys Jamey Johnson singles chronology `` Rebelicious '' ( 2006 ) `` In Color '' ( 2008 ) `` High Cost of Living '' ( 2009 ) `` Rebelicious '' ( 2006 ) `` In Color '' ( 2008 ) `` High Cost of Living '' ( 2009 ) `` In Color '' is a song co-written and recorded by American country music artist Jamey Johnson. It is the first single from his second album, That Lonesome Song, which was initially released to digital retailers in 2007, and was released on August 5, 2008 on Mercury Nashville Records. Johnson co-wrote the song with James Otto and Lee Thomas Miller. In January 2009, `` In Color '' became Johnson 's first Top Ten country hit. The song was later included on the compilation album, Now That 's What I Call Country Volume 2, in 2009. The song won awards for Song of the Year in both the 2009 ACM Awards and the 2009 CMA Awards. Contents 1 Content 2 Music video 3 Reception 3.1 Critical 3.2 Commercial 4 Awards and nominations 5 Chart performance 5.1 Year - end charts 6 References Content The song is a largely acoustic ballad centralizing on an elderly man who is showing black - and - white photographs to his grandson, each photograph showing a various part of the man 's life. Describing the instances in each photos, such as fighting in World War II and the day he and his wife first got married, he recalls his own life story to his grandson, telling him, `` you should have seen it in color '' ( i.e., that the grandson would have had to be there himself to know what each experience was truly like ). Trace Adkins was originally slated to record the song, until Johnson asked Adkins ' permission to record the song himself. Adkins did record the song as an iTunes exclusive bonus track on his 2008 album, X. Music video A music video was shot for `` In Color '' in May 2008. It portrays Johnson sitting on a stool, playing acoustic guitar and singing, with various black - and - white photographs ( which Johnson borrowed from his grandmother ) spread out on the floor around him. Eventually, color begins to sweep across the photos from the outside, working its way in until Johnson himself is also in color. Reception Critical The song received a `` thumbs up '' rating from Brady Vercher of Engine 145. Vercher described the lyrics favorably, saying that they contained `` vivid and emotive imagery without becoming overwrought '', also saying `` ( t ) he production stays out of the way of the vivid stories and adds a richness and expressiveness (... ) Johnson may not be the most gifted vocalist as far as range goes, but he is more than capable and knows how to interpret a song for good effect. Needless to say, he nails the delivery in this song. '' Commercial `` In Color '' debuted at number 57 on the Hot Country Songs chart dated April 19, 2008. The song spent a total of 40 weeks as an active single on the country charts, and became the first Top 10 hit of Johnson 's career, peaking at number 9 on the week of January 10, 2009. In addition, the song peaked at number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100 the same week. The song was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 9, 2010. It has sold 1,340,000 copies in the United States as of February 2016. Awards and nominations `` In Color '' won `` Song of the Year '' at the Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5, 2009. It was also nominated for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Song at the 51st Grammy Awards. Chart performance Chart ( 2008 -- 2009 ) Peak position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) 9 US Billboard Hot 100 52 Year - end charts Chart ( 2008 ) Position US Country Songs ( Billboard ) 57 References ^ Jump up to : Vercher, Brady ( 2008 - 03 - 17 ). `` Jamey Johnson - `` In Color '' - Engine 145 ``. Engine 145. Retrieved 2008 - 07 - 03. ^ Jump up to : Paxman, Bob ( 2008 - 07 - 28 ). `` Living Color : Jamey Johnson sets memories to music in his touching new video ''. Country Weekly. 15 ( 15 ) : 31. Jump up ^ X at iTunes Jump up ^ Bjorke, Matt. `` Top 40 Singles of 2008 : Jamey Johnson - `` In Color '' ( # 1 ) ``. roughstock.com. Retrieved 2009 - 01 - 23. Jump up ^ `` American single certifications -- Jamey Johnson -- In Color ''. Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH Jump up ^ Bjorke, Matt ( February 16, 2016 ). `` The Top 30 Digital Country Singles : February 16, 2016 ''. Jump up ^ `` Alison Krauss, Robert Plant Score at Grammys ''. Great American Country. 2008 - 12 - 04. Archived from the original on 2008 - 12 - 06. Retrieved 2008 - 12 - 08. Jump up ^ `` Jamey Johnson Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Jamey Johnson Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Best of 2008 : Country Songs ''. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2008. Retrieved December 13, 2008. Jamey Johnson Studio albums The Dollar ( 2006 ) That Lonesome Song ( 2008 ) The Guitar Song ( 2010 ) Living for a Song : A Tribute to Hank Cochran ( 2012 ) EPs The Christmas Song ( 2014 ) Notable singles `` The Dollar '' `` In Color '' Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_Color_(song)&oldid=809951690 '' Categories : 2008 singles Jamey Johnson songs Songs written by Jamey Johnson Songs written by Lee Thomas Miller Songs written by James Otto Trace Adkins songs Music videos directed by Shaun Silva Mercury Records singles 2008 songs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 12 November 2017, at 15 : 07. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: who sings should have seen it in color
Answer: Jamey Johnson