
Cole Swindell Says There’s a Song He Wishes He Hadn’t Given Away
Cole Swindell is a well-known country singer in his own right, but he also has writing credits on numerous songs recorded by other popular artists. Some songs simply sit better with someone else singing them, but there is one song in particular that Swindell wishes he would have saved for himself.
Swindell has penned tracks for a variety of artists, including Chris Young, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Craig Campbell and Luke Bryan. Bryan's 2013 album, Crash My Party, features three songs written by Swindell, including "Beer in the Headlights," a song that Swindell regrets giving away.
"That was my baby," Swindell tells The Boot, "and I felt like, when he recorded that song … I said, ‘All right, if I write another song I’m that crazy about, and I think I could use it to break into the scene, then I’ve gotta keep it."
Swindell also co-wrote Crash My Party's 11th track, "Out Like That," and its fifth single, the No. 1 hit "Roller Coaster." The rising country star says he especially loved "Roller Coaster," "but it means more that Luke took that song." And even though part of him wishes that he had recorded "Beer in the Headlights" himself, Swindell sees a major silver lining in the story.
"Literally, about a month or two later, I wrote "Chillin’ It." Had Luke not recorded ["Beer in the Headlights"], I may have tried to put out "Beer in the Headlights," and it may not have worked," Swindell explains. "It’s just crazy how things work out. I learned from that, and I knew when I wrote "Chillin’ It" that that’s what I wanted people to hear first.”
"Beer in the Headlights" wasn't released as a single, so Swindell says that there's still a chance he may record the track himself in the future. For now, fans are anxiously awaiting Swindell's sophomore album, which will include "You Should Be Here," a song about Swindell's late father.
“It’s, by far, my favorite song that I think I’ve written,” he says. “I think that’s why I moved to Nashville, is to write a song like this. 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.”
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