'Wanting To Write This Forever': Mitchell Tenpenny Visits Gravesites Of Loved Ones For Emotional The 3rd Video

Mitchell Tenpenny reflected on family legacy and pride while facing a tough decision to include his full name in the new song.

By Hena Ahmed

Published on Jul 15, 2024 | 09:22 PM IST | 60K

A still from The 3rd MV

It was a tough choice for Mitchell Tenpenny to decide whether to include his full name in the lyrics of his new song, The 3rd. He expressed the uncertainty and wanted the listeners to experience the same feeling about his name. Tenpenny has collaborated with friend and songwriters Devin Dawson, Andy Albert, and Paul DiGiovanni. Tenpenny told the PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, "The fact that they wanted to write it with me meant the world to me.” The song is full of Tenpenny's hidden anxieties and maintaining the legacy. It reflects his journey of pride and how deeply he connected with his family.

Mitchell Tenpenny contemplates passing down his name in thoughtful new song

He said, "It felt strange singing my name. I thought about it, and I decided that I wanted people to see the name on the stone and understand why this song was written."Tenpenny was proud of his full name, James Mitchell Tenpenny, which he shared with his late father and grandfather. He commented that he had the pressure to uphold the family's reputation, "I'm proud of where I come from, and the name they gave me."

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Mitchell Tenpenny discusses the weight of legacy

For a long time, Mitchell Tenpenny has been thinking about the themes of his song. He also shared the topic with his wife and fellow musician Meghan Patrick. He had a deep understanding of the responsibility that came with passing down a name, especially at a time when he considered starting a family.

He questioned himself since the time he got married, "What am I going to do if I have a kid? Do I have to give him that name if it's a boy?" He revealed, while filming the music video the emotional weight of song intensified for him. He visited the gravesites of his late father and grandfather and it was a surreal experience. He admitted, "Honestly, that was a little strange. I didn't know how I was going to feel truly." He realized the importance of the song's significance to the viewers to see the names of the gravestones. Focusing on the deep connection between his family's legacy and his music, he said, "Without them, I'm obviously not here."

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Mitchell Tenpenny honors family legacy in rainy music video shoot at gravesites

Through music, Tenpenny wanted to share a deeply personal story. He said,"A lot of people don't know that I'm one of the few third-generation namesakes alive today.” In 2014 his father passed away and his grandfather in 2007. He wanted to make his dada and granddad proud, "Visiting their graves for the music video was important to him; he wanted it to be meaningful and respectful."

However, the weather took a dramatic turn and an unexpected happened when Tenpenny and his team arrived to film. He stated, "We had no idea it was going to rain."Everyone was at his house which was 35 minutes from the grave site, he felt that it was the right time to shoot the video in one take. Dark clouds had gathered when they approached the cemetery and rains started. The rain made the experience more memorable and added an emotional touch. He quipped, “What a moment.”

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