Many artists took in the hurt and the fear that surrounded 9/11 and used it for creative fuel. In times of great struggle we look to many leaders to guide us down the right path. In a way, musicians are apart of that counsel. We look to artists to empathize with us, cry with us, and sometimes soothe our worries. There are many powerful songs about 9/11, but we’re taking a look at Alan Jackson‘s “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” This haunting memorial to that infamous day is among the most poignant in its crop. Uncover the meaning behind this track with us, below.
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Behind the Meaning of Alan Jackson’s 9/11 Memorial Song, “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)”
Anyone who was around on 9/11 can likely tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing. Few events have been as cataclysmic to American culture and politics as this one. Naturally, their exact whereabouts during this tragedy stuck with people.
Jackson builds on that idea in this song. He asks in the opening lines: Where were you when the world stopped turnin’ / That September day? As stated earlier, it’s a question everyone old enough can answer. In the next breath, Jackson lists off some possible answers, hoping to connect with his listeners.
Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
That September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or workin’ on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin’ against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?
Jackson fully captures the strong emotions that were felt that day. He sings about crying out for a neighbor and witnessing the black smoke rise in the New York City air. It’s a visceral image that likely will drum up familiar feelings of fear and uncertainty in the listener.
Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones
Pray for the ones who don’t know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out with pride for the red, white, and blue
And the heroes who died just doin’ what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?
As with many songs about 9/11, Jackson expresses his pride in the red, white, and blue. Many country artists expressed their support for the country during this time–particularly the brave first responders to the attack.
In the next verse, Jackson asks a question many people probably reckoned with at the time: What really matters? In circumstances like these, it’s hard to not take stock of your life. Tedious things go out the window and you’re left with as close to a black and white set of priorities as we can get.
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love
Jackson gets candid in the lines above. He admits that he is not too much of a political man, but what he does know is that his faith has given him the tools to endure an attack like this. Even for listeners who don’t subscribe to the same faith as Jackson, no one can deny that some sort of Faith, hope, and love were what the country needed in the wake of this national tragedy.
Revisit this track, below.
Photo: AdMedia/MediaPunch
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