ACM Awards tribute to troops not about war, but the warrior

The story behind the song ‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired

When Lt. Andrew Kinard of the United States Marine Corps took the stage in Las Vegas Sunday to introduce performer Trace Adkins during the 44th Academy of Country Music Awards, Kinard received a lengthy standing ovation for his service. Kinard’s war injuries resulted in the loss of both legs, but the Marine stood proud all the same as he said of the forthcoming song, “It’s not about the war, it’s about the warrior.” The US Military Academy at West Point glee club backed Adkins up as he performed 'Til the Last Shot's Fired. And a fan's video of the performance itself will probably garner millions of hits on YouTube, because it’s a classic. I was moved not only by the presentation, but by a personal connection.

Rob Crosby and Doug Johnson wrote the song; I met Crosby years ago in a small nightclub in South Carolina.  All who heard Crosby knew one day he would make it to the big time and he did; he was a block of compressed talent. A number of the songs he’s written rank as top hits or top ten hits. Some were performed by well-knowns; Crosby performed on others. Among them are ‘Concrete Angel’ (Martina McBride), ‘Love Will Bring Her Around’ (Crosby) and ‘She’s a Natural’ (Crosby). A few of the many other performers who’ve done Crosby’s tunes are Paul Simon, Brooks and Dunn and Darryl Worley. Crosby, when I met him, was a down home kind of fellow, modest and seriously dedicated to making music. He also has a wide following in Europe.

Last year my husband was traveling and while he was in Nashville, he caught a performance by Crosby. They talked for awhile, and my husband brought me Crosby’s CD ‘Catfish Day.’ If you like country or folk music, I highly recommend that CD. One of the cuts is ‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired, the song Trace Adkins performed at the ACM Awards. Crosby’s tempo on the song is slightly quicker than Adkins' approach, and it takes on a more ballad-like quality on ‘Catfish Day.’ The song carries a beautiful melody, with lyrics and a score that tap the essence of a genre that officially began in the 1920s.

Country music was balm to the working man in the American South, an area that knew poverty up close and personal. For many of us who grew up in the region, country music is the gospel of the back roads and of Main Street. Mill villages and timberland, family farms and military service—those are a few of the motifs that inspire musicians who do traditional Country as opposed to the pop element that also figures in Country music today. The essence of the music that birthed a national movement was about loss and still is.

‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired delves the warrior experience, giving voice to troops in the Civil War, WWII, Vietnam and Afghanistan. “Say a prayer for peace/For every fallen son” rings true for many of us who have waited on a soldier to return from war or who have lost someone who made the ultimate sacrifice.

I don’t watch much TV, but last night my family (they're all musicians except me) called me from my writing to hear Crosby’s song. Watching Adkins sing and watching the reaction of the audience told me that while many in the entertainment industry have only criticism for our country, there’s still a sizable bloc that isn’t afraid to demonstrate devotion, even genuine affection. We remember our history and we value what others have given us—even those who may disagree with going to war.

Adkins performing ‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired was a remarkable moment during the Academy of Country Music Awards, and Crosby’s tune lingers long after all sound goes quiet. Well-known to Country music fans and the industry, Crosby can be counted on for making music that carries a universal message garbed in skilled lyrics and well-executed arrangements, perhaps achieving what all musicians, poets and other creatives hope for: work that lives beyond the artist, eventually touching the spirits of those yet unborn.

ACM Awards tribute to troops not about war, but the warrior by Kay B. Day