Trey Lewis‘ career took off after when his 2020 single “Dicked Down In Dallas” went viral, but along with releasing his own music, Lewis also writes for other artists. His song “3 Feet Tall” was recently released by Cole Swindell as the lead single from Swindell’s upcoming album, and Lewis opened up about the story behind the emotional track in a new interview with Music Mayhem.
The Story Behind Cole Swindell’s “3 Feet Tall”
Lewis penned “3 Feet Tall” with Trannie Anderson and Jordan Walker, and the song recounts the story of a young boy’s parents divorcing and was inspired by Lewis’ own parents’ divorce.
“Tom Luteran from Sony put together a writer’s retreat outside Nashville in June. We were writing another song and something in that sparked an idea for this song,” Lewis explained of how the song came about. “When we started writing, I originally thought it was going to be about my divorce from my ex-wife, but Trannie had the idea of making it about my parent’s divorce when I was little.”
“3 Feet Tall” Was Inspired By Trey Lewis’ Real Life Story As A Child Of Divorce
He praised his co-writers as “such great songwriters,” sharing that the trio “talked about stories and memories of divorce.”
Some of those memories made it in the song, including Lewis’ parents buying him a Happy Meal on the day they finalized their divorce and his dad moving to a two-bedroom apartment. The song’s chorus notes that “There’s a lot I don’t remember, but that cryin’ down the hall / Had a way of makin’ me wonder maybe it was all my fault,” which Lewis shared still affects him today.
“Happy meals, the ‘we’re getting divorced’ talk with my parents, etc.,” he recalled. “When we got to the chorus, the idea of ‘There was a lot I don’t remember’ came up and honestly that’s the truth of it all. There is a lot from that time I don’t remember. The divorce really affected me negatively when I was young. Processing my emotions was difficult. I still go to therapy to work through those experiences.”
The Tune Marks Lewis’ First Major Label Cut
After the song was finished, Lewis, Anderson and Walker all sent it to their respective publishers. Lewis’ publisher, Rusty Gaston of Sony Music Publishing, told him, “We gotta put this on your album,” but that project was already finished, so Gaston asked Lewis if he could pitch the track to Swindell.
“Rusty pitched it to Cole and a week later the writers got a group text saying thanks and that he loved the song,” Lewis shared, adding that the song, his first label cut, “means everything.”
“From the moment I started writing songs, my goal was to not only write great songs for myself, but also to have cuts by some of my heroes, and Cole Swindell is definitely on that list for me,” he declared. “I remember when his 2014 [self-titled debut] record came out, I used to just ride around and listen to it all the time, so it means the world to me. I don’t think there is a better reward out there to have somebody think that a song that you wrote and a story that’s about your life is their story too, and that somebody is a person you look up to. It’s an awesome thing.”
“Songs Like These Are Why I Fell In Love With Country Music,” Swindell Admitted
Swindell discussed “3 Feet Tall” in a recent social media post, telling fans that “songs like these are why I fell in love with country music in the first place.”
“For all of you out there that have lived it in any way, I’m here for you. I’ve been there too,” he wrote. “Music is so powerful, and I feel like this song is just special. I hope it hits a few of you out there like it does me. Love y’all.”
Additionally, Trey Lewis recently performed the tune for the first time ever during his performance at Unplugged For Tennessee: A Benefit Concert For Middle Tennessee.
Lewis’ is gearing up to release his new album, Troublemaker, which arrives on March 1.
