Alan Jackson remembers 9/11 anthem "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"

The big picture: Jackson's unassuming and emotive poetry recalled the black smoke rising against the blue sky, the weeks of sobering news coverage and the heroes who charged into danger to save lives and risk their own.

• While other artists wrote music that channelled the nation's pugilistic rage, Jackson captured the sadness and vulnerability of the period, ending with a turn toward "faith, hope and love."
• The song became an instant classic after he debuted it during the CMA Awards in November 2001.

What he's saying: "Doing 'Where Were You' for the first time was so emotional for me," Jackson said in a new statement. "I was proud I did, though…and it's one I feel like a lot of people want to hear."

• Jackson went on to sing it again during memorial ceremonies in New York and at The Pentagon.

Zoom out: Jackson didn't expect the song to resonate for this long.

• "I thought we would perform it for a little while and then it would just go away," he said. "I didn't feel like people would want to keep thinking about that.
• "But ever since, I see people waiting on that song in the crowd…and I know I have to do it for them."

State of play: The new version, to be released on Friday, was recorded live this summer during his farewell concert at Nissan Stadium.