Songwriter Darrell Scott will always remember his source of inspiration for one of country music’s most cheerful hits, “It’s a Great Day to be Alive.” Despite the song’s sunny tone, the Nashville artist wrote it after suffering from a week-long back injury that left him unable to complete simple tasks on his own. In 2023, he chatted with music publication The Bluegrass Situation about the single’s unique origin.
“After 6 or 7 days when I could [finally] sit up, I was literally just heating rice in a microwave—and considering making soup. Just sitting at the table, which I hadn’t done all week. It was the most blessed thing to do such simple things. And that’s where the song came from.”
