Please have your tissues or a handkerchief nearby before you watch the music video for In Your Love by Tyler Childers. You’ve been warned!
It’s rare for a music video to tell a complete story full of highs and lows and leave the viewer feeling intense emotions by the end. In Your Love pulls this off beautifully, and even if the ending is tragic, it is a tragedy worth it.
Childers was raised among the coal mining communities of Appalachia, and many of his songs reflect this background. He knows the issues intimately and uses the platform he’s gained to tell stories that would otherwise not be told.
In Your Love achieves a major feat by incorporating gay love in a setting where it can turn out badly both for the people involved and for Childers.
In four minutes, Childers provides a complete timeline of a gay couple’s love story in the middle of a hard place, literally and figuratively.
The protagonists are played by Colton Haynes (American Horror Story) and James Scully (Titans).
‘In Your Love’ Is a Love Story Like You’ve Never Seen
The video begins with an older gentleman plowing a piece of land when he lucks out. He finds a four-leaf clover and looks at it longingly as if it has a life of its own. A flashback takes the viewer to the past as the instrumentals kick in and the song begins.
Childers’ unique voice sets the tone for the rest of the music video. His voice carries some sadness but cuts sharply as he sings romantic lyrics.
I will wait for you
Till the sun turns into ashes
And bows down to the moon
I’ll wait for you.
Tyler Childers
Men walk into a mine and get to work. As the day goes on, two of them catch each other’s eye. At the end of the day, the younger man is courageous enough to approach the older one.
They become fast friends and are often seen being playful together.
Well, they’re not friends. They’ve fallen in love and spend a lot of time together in secret places. During one such picnic outing, the younger man finds a four-leaf clover and shows it to his lover.
Back at work, their closeness doesn’t go unnoticed, and soon enough, another miner catches them in a private moment as they kiss in a secluded place outside.
The secret comes out, and the other miners blame the younger man for “corrupting” their friend, leading to an attack. The older guy walks in on it and stops it. He picks up his lover, and they leave the mine, never to return. He chooses his lover where some people wouldn’t.
They buy a piece of land and a house and live the dream. It is a great life together filled with happiness and family. However, something is brewing.
The video breaks the fourth wall as they go to a bar and find the singer is Childers and his band. They even run into the miner who ruined their lives — except that he didn’t.
Back at home, the younger man starts showing signs of an illness. He had developed Black Lung from his time in the mines, and soon, it escalates. One day, as they work on their farm, the younger man succumbs to the illness. His lover holds him through it.
The video returns to the present, and the gentleman who found the four-leaf clover continues to look longingly at the last place he held the love of his life. At that moment, even if he had an epic love story, he still carries the loss with him.
In Your Love tells a feature-length love story in a short time without missing the important bits. Childers’ genius lyrics and wildly alluring voice elevate the story. The actors don’t say a word, but Childers communicates everything.
By the end, the viewer can’t help but feel like they’ve been on a remarkable journey. The video explores various themes, such as luck, love, and loss, all set against an atypical backdrop.
It is a tale of courage. The courage to go after what you want, fall in love, choose your lover always, and live the life you never thought possible.
The story told in this song is of great significance, especially coming from the Country genre. Childers is a straight man who took a real risk telling this story. He is a great supporter of Queer rights, and this is a way to show it.
The story depicted was written by LGBT author and activist Silas House.
If the video didn’t make you sob enough, visit the YouTube comments section, where wholesome conversations are going on with people who have been impacted.