The Story Behind Trace Adkins’ Heartbreaking Song, “Arlington”
Trace Adkins has performed his hit song “Arlington” more times than he could ever count. But whenever he steps up onstage to sing the emotional song, he gives every word his all, and it shows.
Released in 2005, “Arlington” was the second single from Adkins’ album Songs About Me. The song quickly won over the hearts of country fans and climbed all the way to the second spot on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart.
It has been a staple of Adkins’ performances ever since, and remains one of the most meaningful songs in his catalog.
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Those who have been longtime fans of Adkins’ know that “Arlington” isn’t his only song dedicated to the military. Just a couple of the other titles he’s recorded honoring service members include “Til the Last Shot’s Fired” and “Still a Soldier.”
The latter song features a veteran as the star of its music video.
Trace Delivers A Powerful Live Rendition Of His Military Tribute For Memorial Day
But as impactful as Adkins’ patriotic music videos are, nothing beats the power of his live performances.
One performance of “Arlington” stands out above all the others because of its compelling nature.
During PBS’s National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, D.C., in 2016, Adkins performed right next to the song’s namesake location…Arlington National Cemetery.
We’re sure that fact weighed Adkins’ mind as he sang during the Memorial Day concert 10 years ago. He honored all those who found their final resting place in that sacred ground.
Taking off his hat as a show of respect to those we’ve lost, Adkins’ eyes welled with tears as he sang about our fallen heroes and the enormous sacrifices they made. Adkins always pours his heart into “Arlington,” but this performance was different…and on another level.
The moment’s significance pushed Adkins to put forth what we consider to be one of the best performances of his career. It’s one that people continue to revisit each Memorial Day, because it was just that powerful.
Witness Trace Adkins’ moving Memorial Day performance of “Arlington” in the video below. It’s hard to get through the whole thing without tearing up…
