Alan Jackson sang “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” one final time during his Last Call concert in Nashville this summer. Now you can experience it even if you weren’t there.
The retired country music legend released a live recording of the song to YouTube and digital streaming platforms. It ends with an extended ovation fitting of the moment.
- Alan Jackson wrote “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
- The song won several awards, including a Grammy for Best Country Song.
- Alan Jackson’s Last Call: One More for the Road — the Finale happened on Saturday (June 27) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Related: Alan Jackson’s Final Song Wasn’t What We Expected [Set List]
Alan Jackson, “Where were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” Song History:
Jackson wrote the song in the weeks following 9/11. At first he struggled, admitting he didn’t want his song to be too patriotic. “And I didn’t want it to be vengeful, either,” he told Today’s Christian in 2003. “But I didn’t want to forget about how I felt and how I knew other people felt that day.”
One Sunday morning in October he woke up inspired by a new title and penned the bulk of the lyrics fairly quickly. He was hesitant to record it however, thinking he might be accused of taking advantage of the moment.
His wife helped convince him otherwise and he debuted it at the 2001 CMA Awards. Immediately radio stations began to play the television version of the song. The actual radio single wasn’t released until two weeks later and it didn’t make an album until 2002.
Since 2002, “Where Were You” has been a staple of Jackson’s live show and the definitive tribute song to all who were lost on Sept. 11, 2001. The crowd at Nissan Stadium in Nashville received the five-minute-long acoustic ballad with reverence last June, perhaps not thinking about how it’d be the final time he sang these words.
On Sept. 11, Jackson dropped a new live recording to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
10 Country Songs Born From World Tragedy
These 10 country songs were inspired by real-world events that had serious consequences.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
See the Most Played Country Song from the Year You Were Born
Who had the most played country song during the year you were born? This list is a fascinating time capsule of prevalent trends from every decade in American history. Scroll through to find your birth year and then click to listen. Some of these songs have been lost through the years, many of them for good reason!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
