To say that the world has changed a lot since September 11, 2001 is an understatement. The traumatic effects of the terrorist attacks 10 years ago in the US are still being felt. However, there is still one song that carries a healing power that transcends what happened on the day now known as 9/11. Country star Alan Jackson wrote "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" shortly after the events unfolded on that infamous September day. While the song is about that day, the real message behind it is that love is the greatest gift of all.
Best known for '90s hits like "Don't Rock the Jukebox" and "Chattahoochee," Jackson wanted to write a song that expressed his thoughts on 9/11. He agonized over how it should be written until one Sunday morning in October. When the lyrics and melody came to him, he immediately got out of bed and sang them into a hand-held recorder so he wouldn't forget them. He skipped church that morning so he could complete the song.
Jackson uses the song to sum up his feelings about 9/11 before paraphrasing a Biblical passage from St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13; the exact words St. Paul writes are, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (NIV).
Jackson initially hesitated about releasing "Where Were You," thinking that it would exploit the tragedy. Everything changed once his wife and producer heard it, and they encouraged him to record a master. Jackson went a step further once it was cut in the studio, and he debuted it during the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards broadcast (November 7, 2001).
I remember watching that performance live on TV, and like most other viewers, it made an immediate impact. Radio agreed, and "Where Were You" went into heavy rotation. When the studio version was released, it spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Country Chart. It also reached the number 28 position on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Jackson's highest-charting pop single to date.
In late 2002, "Where Were You" won the CMA Award for Best Single. In early 2003, it garnered Jackson his first (and so far only) Best Country Song Grammy.
Jackson's reaction to the song was published in an article for USA Today (November 21, 2001). He said, "I think it was Hank Williams who said, 'God writes the songs, I just hold the pen.' That's the way I felt with this song."
Best known for '90s hits like "Don't Rock the Jukebox" and "Chattahoochee," Jackson wanted to write a song that expressed his thoughts on 9/11. He agonized over how it should be written until one Sunday morning in October. When the lyrics and melody came to him, he immediately got out of bed and sang them into a hand-held recorder so he wouldn't forget them. He skipped church that morning so he could complete the song.
Jackson uses the song to sum up his feelings about 9/11 before paraphrasing a Biblical passage from St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13; the exact words St. Paul writes are, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" (NIV).
Jackson initially hesitated about releasing "Where Were You," thinking that it would exploit the tragedy. Everything changed once his wife and producer heard it, and they encouraged him to record a master. Jackson went a step further once it was cut in the studio, and he debuted it during the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards broadcast (November 7, 2001).
I remember watching that performance live on TV, and like most other viewers, it made an immediate impact. Radio agreed, and "Where Were You" went into heavy rotation. When the studio version was released, it spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Country Chart. It also reached the number 28 position on the Billboard Hot 100, making it Jackson's highest-charting pop single to date.
In late 2002, "Where Were You" won the CMA Award for Best Single. In early 2003, it garnered Jackson his first (and so far only) Best Country Song Grammy.
Jackson's reaction to the song was published in an article for USA Today (November 21, 2001). He said, "I think it was Hank Williams who said, 'God writes the songs, I just hold the pen.' That's the way I felt with this song."
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