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LISTEN: Alan Jackson’s New Album Features Song He Wrote For His Mother’s Funeral

Alan Jackson is one of the best songwriters in the game right now. He co-wrote some of the biggest songs on the airwaves in the 90s. Songs like “Chattahoochee,” and “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” are still fan favorites today. His skill hasn’t dulled a bit over the years. What we’ve heard from his upcoming album Where Have You Gone has proved that in spades.

Fans and critics alike know that Alan Jackson does his best songwriting when he feels the lyrics deeply. The songs that come from either his heart or his experience are the ones we all remember. For instance, his first chart-topper “I’d Love You All Over Again,” was a tribute to his wife Denise on their tenth anniversary. “Midnight in Montgomery,” was based on a late-night visit to the grave of Hank Williams. In 2002, Jackson released the tear-jerking tribute to his late father, “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” More recently, we got to hear “You’ll Always Be My Baby,” which Jackson penned for the father-daughter dances at his girls’ weddings. Every one of those songs is top-tier country music.

Today, Alan Jackson released the latest single from his upcoming album. It’s another one of those songs that is near and dear to the country superstar’s heart. The song is called “Where Her Heart Has Always Been.” Jackson wrote it for his mother’s funeral.

Grab your tissues. Then, we can listen to the song and talk about it a little bit.

Alan Jackson’s Latest Single Pulls Hard on the Heartstrings

First off, let’s listen to the song.

Boy howdy, I don’t know about where you’re at, but the pollen suddenly got really thick over here.

The first thing that catches the ear in “Where Her Heart Has Always Been,” is that sweet, maternal voice reading from the Good Book. That’s Alan Jackson’s mom. According to Taste of Country, the song was already in the can when Jackson’s sister found the recording of their mother reading from the Bible. When he heard it, he knew that his tribute to her wouldn’t be complete without it.

The song is more touching than it is sad, though. Alan Jackson is mourning the loss of his mother who passed on in January of 2017. However, he’s not dwelling on the loss. Instead, he is accepting that she is in a better place and once again reunited with her true love and Jackson’s dad, Gene.

“The sun seemed brighter than it’s ever been / And now she’s dancing in the wind / With her true love again / Where her heart has always been”

Alan Jackson’s strength in the face of his mother’s passing and his outlook on it makes this song one of the most touching to hit the airwaves in quite some time. This, combined with the other songs from the upcoming release hint that Where Have You Gone will be both emotional and personal. So, it’s going to be a great collection of songs.

The new album drops May 14.