Grab the tissues.
Something about kids singing will always strike a chord with me, but learning why this first grader chose to sing this song for his talent show really did me in.
A little boy named Taylor waltzed right up to the middle of the gym for his first-grade talent show to belt out the power song “‘Til You Can’t” by Cody Johnson. If you aren’t familiar with the track, pause here and go listen to it because Johnson singing it packs a punch, and then you can fully appreciate this little lad singing the track.
His mom shared a video of the performance, noting:
“My First Grader’s performance at his Talent Show! Had teachers, parents, and myself in tears!! So proud of my boy!”
Taylor is beyond confident with the microphone in his hand, and his little voice singing the heavy words Johnson wrote is not only adorable but chokes you up. When he gets to the chorus, he lets it rip, and as his little first-grader voice belts out, “If you have a drweam, chase it,” I (and the comments section as a collective) has lost it.
The kid has got a great ear to begin with to take such a challenging song, but as I was scrolling through the comments, I learned that the song selection has more to do with the fact Taylor is a Cody Johnson fan.
“Who hurt him, I love this.”
One TikTok user left in the comment sections. The mother replied to the user, saying:
“He wanted to sing this song for his nana, who passed away this past July, and it fit so perfectly!”
Many other users then began commenting after learning this about how “‘Til You Can’t” carries significant meaning for those who have also lost their loved ones. I am sure that Taylor’s Nana was looking down with the biggest smile on her face during this performance because he nailed it.
Cody Johnson needs to see this video and make this little boy’s dreams come true by having him up close and personal at a show.
Tune in, and get ready to have your heart melted.
@ahenson92 My First Grader’s performance at his Talent Show! Had teachers, parents, and myself in tears!! So proud of my boy! #fyp #firstgrade #fearless #codyjohnson #cojonation @Cody Johnson @CMT ♬ original sound – aprokop
And of course, Cody’s version:
