Alan Jackson is one of those country music singers who steps up to the plate for a good cause. He did just that at Farm Aid in 2000.
Jackson took to the stage and performed his hit song, “Pop a Top,” in front of a crowd in Bristow, Va., on Sept. 17, 2000. His performance was one of many that day, including ones from Farm Aid founders Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp.
The song is part of his 1999 album release, “Under the Influence.” It was originally written and recorded by Nat Stuckey in 1966.
The first hit version of the song was released by Grand Ole Opry legend Jim Ed Brown in 1967.
Its lyrics reflect a man who steps up to the bar, asks for a drink, and starts wondering about lost love.
“Pop a top again
I just got time for one more round
Set ’em up my friends
Then I’ll be gone
Then you can let some other fool sit down
I’d like for you to listen to a joke I heard today
From a woman who said she was through and calmly walked away
I tried to smile and did a while but it felt so outta place
Did you ever hear of a clown with tears drops streaming down his face.
Pop a top again
I think I’ll have another round
Set ’em up my friend
Then I’ll be gone and you can let some other fool sit down.
Home for me is misery and here I am wasting time
‘Cause a row of fools on a row of stools is not what’s on my mind
But then you see her leaving me it’s not what I prefer
So it’s either here just drinking beer or home remembering her.
Pop a top again.”
Here’s Jackson singing before the Farm Aid crowd.
Alan Jackson Teams Up With Caylee Hammock On Song
This year, Jackson got together with fellow country music singer Caylee Hammock and recorded Don Williams’ classic “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good.”
“It’s so nice to be able to finally record one of my favorite Don Williams songs with a great message for today and to be able to sing it with another Georgia native with a sweet voice,” Jackson said.
Jackson has a plethora of hit songs to his name. They’ve become a part of so many lives that when one of them comes on the radio, fans know that voice immediately.
One of his early hits was “Chasin’ That Rainbow” and spoke to memories about his family, especially his mother Ruth and his father Gene.
“It was talking about where I came from, coming to Nashville, trying to make it in Nashville,” Jackson said. He was “chasing that dream. Like so many others, I was playing so many bars and honky-tonks.”
He added another award in 2020 to his name. After a performance, earlier this year at the Opry, Jackson, a Country Hall of Fame member, received the Joe Talbot Award from the Country Music Association. It recognizes outstanding leadership and contributions to the preservation and advancement of country music’s values and traditions.
Jackson joins Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Marty Stuart as fellow recipients of this honor.
