Chris Young’s “Sober Saturday Night” Brings a Somber Topic to a Movie-esque Video

When announcing the details of his highly-anticipated 2015 album I’m Comin’ Over, fans of RCA recording artist Chris Young rejoiced at the specifics of one song in particular; “Sober Saturday Night” was to be a collaboration with one of Young’s long-standing influences, GRAMMY-winning Grand Ole Opry member Vince Gill.

Written by Young and brothers Brad and Brett Warren, “Sober Saturday Night” encompasses the heartache, loneliness, and ultimate regret of a break up while Young’s baritone (along with Gill’s upper harmonies) create a beautiful sound that brilliantly portrays the poignancy of the hurt and pain one feels after a breakup*. Gill’s guitar solo is nothing short of climatic, lending credence to the subject matter.

Essentially a surreal full-circle moment for Young, the two discussed just how impactful Gill was to Young in his formative years; in a November 2015 article, Young comments on how Gill was his first real concert at the (now non-existent) Starwood Amphitheater. Young even laughs at how he felt discouraged during his youth, his voice lowering from a tenor to a baritone and unable to seamlessly perform Gill’s numbers. But anyone within earshot can hear that the two blend flawlessly, so it is at the benefit of all when we say thank you, Mother Nature, for that distinction.

And in retrospect, perhaps the video itself could be another (unintentional) full circle moment for Young – long time listeners of Young may remember a similar story line in “Flowers,” an unreleased song from Young’s 2006 debut album. But we digress.

The video itself is cinematic splendor – opening credits hit the screen while visions of a couple in love flutter by. Finely crafted to play out the lyrics, hazy memories of the duo utterly infatuated with each other segway between more gritty captures of the couple indulging in alcohol-induced fun at a small town bar. In between those segways, the lead male goes through the motions of anyone struggling to find their bearings on a weekend morning.

In an unexpected twist, the couple is found at odds – the female is dancing with another man, invoking jealousy and an argument ensues inside and outside of the bar – she leaves with friends while he’s bent over, an ill-stomach from too much consumption. Flowing between shots, viewers find the male at a church walking to the grave of his love while witnessing the car crash that ended her life. So the actor is finding his bearings in mourning, in a manner of speaking, just not exactly what viewers expected; the distorted images of a drunken past find our lead clearly crossing off the days of sobriety on a wall calendar, alone.

The acting is phenomenal. The story is grasping. Every aspect of this video is powerful.

While shots of Young himself are distanced from the story, his own dramatics have greatly improved from his earlier career. While assumedly standing outside of the males home, Young’s own motions and expressions are fluid and naturalistic, the right touch of intensity for such a narrative video. If motions are worth anything, this is undoubtedly Young’s most pragmatic video to date.

 

*quote attributed to Michelle Kennedy