Teary-Eyed Country Star Honors Fallen Soldiers With Moving ‘Arlington’ Performance

Jun 09, 2020 by apost team

Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most sacred spaces in all of America. It's the place where American soldiers killed in conflict are interred. It's over 600 acres in size, and soldiers from the Civil War to the present have been buried there.

In fact, some soldiers from earlier conflicts like the War of 1812 or the Revolutionary War have be re-buried there, too. For country star Trace Adkins, long a supporter of Americans in the military, it was only natural to release an emotional song about this place.

"Arlington" was written by Dave Turnbull and Jeremy Spillman. The lyrics were inspired by the story of Corporal Patrick Nixon, who was killed during an ambush in Iraq in 2003. Nixon was a Marine. At the time the song was written, the US was embroiled in two controversial wars. After 9/11, President George W. Bush led the country into conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the wars dragged on and casualties mounted on both sides, people in America began to reckon with the effects of the conflicts. Adkins' version of this song was first released on his album Songs About Me in 2005.

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Though it's been over fifteen years since this song was released, it still resonates strongly with Adkins and his fanbase. In fact, Trace Adkins typically needs to fight back tears when he's performing it. In the same way, all Americans can identify with the themes of service and sacrifice that this song deals with. Whether they've served and survived, lost a family member to a conflict, or simply followed these wars on the news, everyone knows a story like Corporal Nixon's. It's important for Americans to continue to share and remember these stories, lest we forget the sacrifices our armed forces make.

Adkins' song has been popular with people from all kinds of political outlooks. He doesn't use it as a platform to criticize or support one side or the other. The emphasis is simply on the soldiers who serve and their stories. It's a very respectful perspective about what American servicepeople have given up for their country over the years.

How do you feel about "Arlington" by Trace Adkins? Are you a fan of the song? Let's chat about it here!