PREMIERE: Rodney Crowell’s ‘You’re Supposed to Be Feeling Good’ Video Is a Colorful Tribute to His Granddaughter
Legendary singer-songwriter Rodney Crowell is sharing a sweet new music video for his classic track "You're Supposed to Be Feeling Good," just in time for Father's Day.
Premiering exclusively at The Boot today, the visual companion to Crowell's song, which Emmylou Harris recorded for her beloved 1976 studio album Luxury Liner, spotlights a colorful collection of art made by Crowell and his young granddaughter.
"When [directors] Joshua Britt and Nielsen Hubbard were at my house in preparation for the video for 'Loving You is the Only Way to Fly,' they happened to see the paintings that I'd been making with my granddaughter, Olive, who's two and a half years old," Crowell tells The Boot.
"The paintings would basically always start with her," he continues. "I would encourage her, with basic primary colors, to make any kind of design she wanted to, and she would. Sometimes it would just be a few, and sometimes she would go on for a while. When she would finish, I would take her crayons, try to get in touch with my own two-and-a-half-year-old self, and finish our paintings."
The bright, engaging works of art quickly caught Britt's eye, lighting a spark of creative inspiration.
"He saw those paintings, [Britt] looked at 'em all and said, 'Oh God, it would be great to make an animated video of these paintings," Crowell explains. "So I gave him 20 or 25 paintings, which they scanned and did their magic with, and I was quite pleased when I saw it."
The result is a whimsical, visually engaging backdrop to Crowell's impactful vocals and stirring lyrics. The video, which opens with a voicemail recording from the 72-year-old talent, serves as a lasting gift to Olive and a tribute to their time together.
"I showed it to Olive, and she, at two, couldn't quite grasp what it was, but I could tell she was intrigued that she had something to do with this music video," he says. "And to me, that was worth the entire thing."
Watch Rodney Crowell's official music video for "You're Supposed to Be Feeling Good" below:
Crowell recorded his own rendition of "You're Supposed to Be Feeling Good" for Crowell's latest album The Chicago Sessions, which was released in May. Produced by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, the record spotlights the incomparable poetic lyricism and seasoned artistic vision that has cemented him as one of country music's all-time best.
You can catch Crowell on tour in support of The Chicago Sessions, with over two dozen headlining performances scheduled through the end of the year. You can find a complete list of his upcoming concert dates at Rodney Crowell's official website.