This Is It

Album: Seasons Change (2018)
Charted: 42
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Scotty McCreery drew inspiration from his engagement to his longtime girlfriend Gabi Dugal for this warm and romantic song. Both hailing from Garner, North Carolina, the couple have known each other since kindergarten and began dating during their senior year of high school. McCreery eventually popped the question to Gabi in September 2017, during a romantic hike in the mountains of their home state.
  • Way up in the mountains
    Four thousand feet high
    There's a trail through the trees to a cliff
    Where Carolina meets the sky


    The track was actually written by McCreery with collaborators Aaron Eshuis and Frank Roger just before he proposed to Gabi. "We wrote it two weeks before we got engaged," he confessed.

    To make sure reality matched the song McCreery had to make sure the special day panned out as he had envisioned. "Which is odd for me — I'm not a planner," he admitted. "I think that's how I tipped her off that I was gonna propose that week because she was like, 'You had this whole weekend planned out. That's odd.'"
    He added with a smile: "If things hadn't gone to plan and we hadn't gotten to the mountain, I probably would have had to scrap the song."

    Fortunately, everything went as planned and following the proposal, the happy couple were greeted by the friends and family who had joined them for their special occasion. However, McCreery had one last surprise up his sleeve. "I shared 'This Is It' with Gabi as soon as we got back to the cabin, after the proposal," he revealed. "Her family was there and we put it on the Apple TV and played it over the speakers. Yeah, there were some tears, and her mom was getting all misty-eyed and everything."
  • The intimate Jeff Ray-directed music video is comprised of actual footage from Scotty and Gabi's wedding on June 16, 2018, in North Carolina as well as the other festivities linked to their big day.
  • Girl I know that you've been waiting and talking to your friends
    Wondering if and wondering where and wondering when
    Well I've been waiting too, holding on to this ring
    For the right words to say, for the right time and place, for me to get on one knee


    Scotty McCreery told Billboard this is his favorite lyric from the song as he had the ring in the closet for four or five months. "I was waiting for the right time, but I was scared she might open the closet and do some clothes hunting," he explained. "I had it in a shoebox, in a shoebox, in another shoebox, so she would've had to been really looking for it."

Comments: 1

  • Nathan from Woodbridge, VaHOW AM I THE FIRST TO COMMENT ON SUCH A MASTERFUL SONG??? I’m being so dead serious, this is so incredibly beautiful from beginning to end. Just imagine that scenario for a second, you’re on a hike and you get to the top of the tallest mountain in the range. The view is gorgeous, but little do you know that your significant other is about to be your fiancé in a few minutes. AND THE FACT THAT THE DUDE HAD TO PLAN OUT EVERYTHING SO IT GOES JUST LIKE THE SONG LIKE WHAT??? You have to TRULY be in love with your partner to write a song 2 WEEKS, not days, not hours, WEEKS, before you plan to propose to your wife, and you go through all the effort to make sure everything goes according to plan. Masterpiece. That’s all I can say.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)

Chad Channing (Nirvana, Before Cars)Songwriter Interviews

Chad tells tales from his time as drummer for Nirvana, and talks about his group Before Cars.

George Harrison

George HarrisonFact or Fiction

Did Eric Clapton really steal George's wife? What's the George Harrison-Monty Python connection? Set the record straight with our Fact or Fiction quiz.

Charlie Daniels

Charlie DanielsSongwriter Interviews

Charlie discusses the songs that made him a Southern Rock icon, and settles the Devil vs. Johnny argument once and for all.

Billy Joe Shaver

Billy Joe ShaverSongwriter Interviews

The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!

Emilio Castillo from Tower of Power

Emilio Castillo from Tower of PowerSongwriter Interviews

Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.