Alan Jackson has written many songs. But there is only one that caused him to wake in the middle of the night. It later became a national tearjerker.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A few years ago, Alan Jackson sat down with Apple Music for an interview, where he spoke about some of his most famous hits. One, however, was so powerful that the lyrics woke him from his slumber. He knew he had to write them down immediately.
Many may remember "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)," released in 2002 only a few months after 9/11. The song was packaged in the Drive album, and is the second-most streamed song from it. The first being "Drive (For Daddy Gene)," of course.
It's such a tentative, solemn, and heartbreaking song, and its lyrics appeared in his mind while he was sleeping one night after the national tragedy.
"That one just felt different," he shared. "I just woke up and this whole chorus was there, and it pretty much ended up exactly the way it came in the middle of that night."
"And I just felt like it needed to be written down at the time," he continued. And that's exactly what he did. He went downstairs to write and record the song, the tragedy so fresh on his mind.
Despite how it ended up being received, Alan Jackson was initially very hesitant to cut the song.
Alan Jackson Didn't Originally Want To Record "Where Were You"
Considering the subject material of the song, it's little wonder Alan Jackson had reservations.
"I kept telling myself, 'I'm not gonna try to write a song,' because I think it's just like you're trying to take advantage of the situation for your own good, and I didn't want to do that," he said.
"And even after I wrote that, I didn't know what I was gonna do with it."
It was his partner, Denise, who encouraged Alan Jackson to record the song. "Denise heard it and she said, 'You know what, people will want to hear that,'" he recalled.
The song struck a chord with every American who heard him perform it. It's a powerful and emotional song that's one of reflection, and is one no one is likely to forget anytime soon.
