Music Friday: Scotty McCreery Tells Story of His Own Proposal in ‘This Is It’
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you heartfelt songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, former American Idol Scotty McCreery delivers a first-hand account of his mountaintop marriage proposal to longtime sweetheart Gabi Dugal in his 2018 release, “This Is It.”
In the song, McCreery tells the story of a young couple’s life changing moment “at the top of the world.”
He sings, “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.”
McCreery revealed in an AXS Patio Sessions interview that he and his co-writers collaborated on the song in September of 2017, only two weeks before he had planned to pop the question on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina.
“I told my co-writers the story and we just kinda wrote the song around that,” he said. “It’s very visual and paints the picture of how the engagement went down.”
Writing the song before the proposal was a tad risky for the North Carolinian. Although he had all the “wheres and whens and hows” mapped out perfectly, there was still a possibility that something could go awry.
“If things hadn’t gone to plan and we hadn’t gotten to the mountain, I probably would have had to scrap the song,” said McCreery. “But luckily it all worked out.”
Scotty McCreery told Billboard that he had the ring hidden 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.”
Friends since kindergarten, McCreery and Dugal, a pediatric nurse, had been dating since their senior year in high school. They tied the knot on May 16, 2018, and McCreery sang “This Is It” at the wedding reception.
“This Is It” is the sixth track from McCreery’s fourth studio album, Seasons Change. The song was certified “platinum” with combined streams and sales of one million units. The song rose to #3 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and #2 on the Billboard Canada Country chart.
A native of Garner, NC, Scott Cooke McCreery has the distinction of being the youngest male ever to win an American Idol competition. He was only 17 when he prevailed during the Season 10 finale in May of 2011.
Please check out the official video of McCreery’s “This Is It,” which includes actual footage from his wedding service, reception and related events. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…
“This Is It”
Written by Scotty McCreery, Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis. Performed by Scotty McCreery.
Way up in the mountains, four thousand feet high
There’s a trail through the trees to a cliff where Carolina meets the sky
Oh, and there’s a view I just can’t describe
No, I’m not there yet, just a few more steps, baby wait
Okay, you can open your eyes
This is it, this is now, this is what I’ve been talking about
Looking out, can’t you see forever?
Take my hand, just take it in
This is a moment we won’t forget
On top of the world, here, together
If there ever was a time for a perfect kiss, this is it
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
This is it, this is now, this is what I’ve been talking about
Looking out, can’t you see forever?
Take my hand, just take it in
This is a moment we won’t forget
On top of the world here together
If there ever was a time for a perfect kiss, well this is it
This is it
Now you’re walking down the aisle
And I can’t help but smile
This is it, this is now, it’s what I’ve been talking about
Looking out, I can see forever
So take my hand, just take it in
This is a moment we won’t forget
On top of the world, here, together
Surrounded by our family and our friends
If there ever was a time for a perfect kiss
This is it