WHERE WERE YOU (WHEN THE WORLD STOPPED TURNING)

ALAN JACKSONJon RiceBlock 7Turner

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September dayOut in the yard with your wife and

childrenWorking on some stage in LA

Did you stand there in shock at the site of

That black smoke rising against that blue sky

Did you shout out in angerIn fear for your neighbor

Or did you just sit down and cry

Did you weep for the childrenWho lost their dear loved ones

And pray for the ones who don't know

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble

And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out in prideFor the red white and blue

The heroes who died just doing what they do

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself to what really matters

--CHORUS--

I'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political man

I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell youThe difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus and I talk to GodAnd I remember this from when I was

youngFaith hope and love are some good things

he gave usAnd the greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

Teaching a class full of innocent childrenDriving down some cold interstate

Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivorIn a crowded room did you feel alone

Did you call up your mother and tell her you love her

Did you dust off that bible at homeDid you open your eyes and hope it never

happenedClose your eyes and not go to sleep

Did you notice the sunset the first time in ages

Speak with some stranger on the streetDid you lay down at night and think of

tomorrowGo out and buy you a gun

Did you turn off that violent old movie you're watching

And turn on "I Love Lucy" rerunsDid you go to a church and hold hands

with some strangerStand in line and give your own blood

Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family

Thank God you had somebody to love

--Chorus--

I'm just a singer of simple songsI'm not a real political man

I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and IranBut I know Jesus and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young

Faith hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is loveThe greatest is loveThe greatest is love

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

To view my bibliography please click here.

“That September Day”

This line refers to September 11, 2001. On this day, the World Trade Center in New York was attacked by two planes. Also, one plane crashed into the Pentagon. The planes were hijacked and the attacks were acts of terrorism. Many families lost loved ones and there were many casualties in the attacks. For more information click here.

“That black smoke rising against that blue sky”

This line refers to the trail of smoke that was left from the burning World Trade Center. The smoke cloud stretched for miles. The cloud was so large that it could be seen by satellites.

“Singer of simple songs”

This is an example of alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant at the beginning of words. The consonant “s” is repeated three times in the phrase “singer of simple songs”.

“heroes who died just doing what they do”

This line talks about the many people in the attacks on September 11, 2001 that were trying to save the civilians. 343 firefighters/ paramedics were killed and 23 NYPD officers were killed. For more information click here.

Alan Jackson Alan Jackson was born on October 17, 1958. He was born in

Newnan, Georgia. Alan’s father, Eugene, worked as a autoworker. His mother, Ruth, was a homemaker. Alan is one of seven children under Ruth and Eugene. Jackson met his wife, Denise, in high school at a Dairy Queen. They married in 1979. Soon after their marriage, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee so Alan could have a music career. However, before he became a talented musician, Alan worked odd jobs. For example, he worked as a used car salesman and Denise worked as a flight attendant. Denise met Glen Campbell of Glen Campbell Enterprises on a plane one day and told him about Alan. Soon after, Jackson was hired by the manager, Marty Gamblin. Jackson released his first album, Here in the Real World, in 1990 and also birthed his first daughter. Alan released “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) on his album Drive in 2002.

For more information click here.

“I Love Lucy”

“I Love Lucy” is a very popular American television show. The very first broadcast of this show was Monday, October 15, 1951 on CBS. It was a comedy and was about marital life.

“The greatest is love” In the last chorus, the words “The

greatest is love” are repeated multiple times. This is an example of anaphora. Anaphora is the repeat of a word or phrase.

“Did you feel guilty cause you're a survivor”

In this song, “Did you feel guilty cause you’re a survivor” is the main theme in my opinion. In the second verse, Alan Jackson talks about how people would appreciate the simple things like calling their mothers and just being alive. Some people felt very bad for the innocent people that died and they felt guilt because they just survived.

“Jesus” The reference to Jesus in this poem is an allusion. An allusion is a reference to another piece of literature. In this case, the reference of “Jesus” comes from the Bible. Jesus is known as the savior in the Christian religion.

“man” “I'm not a real political man I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you The difference in Iraq and Iran” These lines are an example of a rhyme.

The rhyme pattern is A-B-A. There are many rhymes similar to this one in this song.

“Bible”

The Bible is the holy scripture for the Christian religion. It is divided into two testaments. They are called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Bible speaks about the savior of the Christians, Jesus.

“Red, White, and Blue” Red, white, and blue are the colors that represent the United States. These colors appear on the United States’ flag. In this song, “red, white, and blue” is used as a symbol of America.