Vince Gill and Amy Grant reign supreme when it comes to Christmas in country music. Their annual Ryman Auditorium residency has become a beloved holiday tradition, drawing fans back year after year for a night of heartfelt music, nostalgia, and festive cheer. This year, the powerhouse couple took their holiday magic to the next level, releasing their first-ever collaborative Christmas album, a gift to fans who have long cherished their individual holiday classics.
While Gill is known for his legendary Christmas performances, not all of his holiday songs are filled with joy. One of his most heart-wrenching Christmas songs, It Won’t Be the Same This Year, was born out of personal loss.
Most fans know Gill’s Go Rest High on That Mountain, a song he finished after the passing of his brother, Bob Coen, in 1993. But what many don’t realize is that his grief also inspired another song—one that speaks directly to the pain of missing a loved one during the holidays.
As Christmas approached that year, Gill felt the deep absence of his brother and poured his emotions into music, resulting in It Won’t Be the Same This Year. The song, a poignant tribute to those who aren’t around to celebrate, has resonated deeply with fans who have faced their own losses during the holiday season.
In 2012, Vince Gill performed It Won’t Be the Same This Year at the Ryman Auditorium, delivering a soul-stirring rendition that left the audience visibly moved. The song’s lyrics capture the bittersweet reality of the holidays after losing someone you love—something that makes it one of the most relatable and emotional Christmas songs ever written.
Vince Gill recalled the process of making his first Christmas record nearly two decades ago, admitting that songwriting for the project didn’t come easily. “I fancy myself as a songwriter, so I tried to write some songs for it,” he shared. “Everything I was trying to come up with just sounded stupid. I started talking about mistletoe and presents and trees. And I thought, ‘Man, that’s so lame. It’s already been written. You’re just killing yourself.’”
During the recording process, Gill experienced a devastating personal loss—his brother, Bob Coen, passed away. Suddenly, inspiration struck in a way he hadn’t anticipated. “All of a sudden, I said, ‘Man, I’ve got something to write a song about,’” he explained.
Before performing the song at a show years later, Gill shared a touching moment with a fan. “I met a lady before the show who told me it was her first Christmas without her son,” he recalled. “She had tears in her eyes, and I had a lump in my throat. So, I’m going to do this one for you.”
Gill poured his grief into It Won’t Be the Same This Year, creating a song that didn’t rely on metaphors to soften the pain. Instead, he faced his emotions head-on, turning his loss into a deeply personal and universally relatable holiday ballad.
The lyrics paint a poignant picture of spending the first Christmas without a loved one. In the opening verse, he reflects on returning home for the first time since his brother’s passing. The song grows even more emotional as it progresses:
“His favorite time was always Christmas.
We’d reminisce about the days gone by.
Oh, how I wish that he were still here with us.
My memories of him will never die.”
By the final verse, Gill finds meaning in his loss, delivering a heartfelt message about the true spirit of Christmas:
“It’s helped me learn what Christmas really means.
There’s nothing more important than your family.
We’re all the children of the King of Kings.”
Gill first included It Won’t Be the Same This Year on his 1993 Christmas album Let There Be Peace on Earth and revisited the song for his 2015 holiday release Christmas. The song remains one of his most powerful and personal contributions to holiday music, offering comfort to those who find the season difficult after losing a loved one.
