Alan Jackson’s “Where Have You Gone” is a heartbreaking loss but not of a lover. In the newest song penned by the Country Hall of Famer himself, he mourns the death of the sound of traditional country music – the steel and the acoustic and the fiddle. But at the same time, he was breathing life into it again.
It was a cleverly written song that will make you think of a long-lost love until you hear the chorus, and it’s definitely old-school country. In an interview, Alan Jackson said that when he visualized home and growing up, real country songs were not just about life and love and heartache or drinking and Mama and having a good time. It was also about the sounds of the instruments, and getting those right make you feel that’s country, too.
“Where Have You Gone” is the title track of the full album of the same name, his first since Angels and Alcohols in 2015. He dropped the track last April 2 (Friday) alongside two new tracks from titled “Way Down in My Whiskey” and “Things That Matter.” The album is composed of 21 tracks, 15 of which were solely self-penned by Alan Jackson.
This album also shared a personal side of him with the song “You’ll Always Be My Baby,” which he wrote for his daughter Mattie’s wedding in the summer of 2017 according to his Facebook post. The song was the latest track ahead of his album release due on May 14, 2021. He also wrote a song about the passing of his mother titled Where Her Heart Has Always Been.
For You
Alan Jackson also covered “That’s the Way Love Goes” as a tribute to country music legend Merle Haggard. He also recorded songs written by Hailey Whitters, Daniel Tashian, and Scotty Emerick. Jackson enlisted the help of his longtime producer Keith Stegall to fully give life to these songs.
He also shared a story while he was listening to the songs of the new album. According to him, it was just funny because he was driving when he listened to the final mixes that his producer Keith sent him and he just started to tear up. He was surprised that he was overly emotional, but he confessed that he just really loved this kind of music.
UMG Nashville President Cindy Mabe also had some words about the new album. According to her, Where Have You Gone was Alan’s experiences over the last six years, which he implemented in a poet’s perspective weaving together what she called a masterful love letter to country music. It was his story and the story of country music. It was once again a reminder of how Alan Jackson was truly one-of-a-kind.
The album is currently on pre-order, but while we all wait, we can all take another listen to Alan Jackson songs especially Where Have You Gone in the video below.
