John Michael Montgomery was a boot stompin’ staple of country music back in the ’90s, who could hang with the best of them with songs like “Sold,” “Life’s a Dance,” and “Be My Baby Tonight.”
If you go to any country concert nowadays, you can just about bet your life savings that you’ll hear a John Michael Montgomery cover somewhere down the set list.
However, what if I told you one of his most moving songs came a little bit later in his career, back in 2004?
And the song?
“Letters From Home.”
With Memorial Day today, it’s hard to find a better song that documents the struggles that both an active service member and his family go through on a regular basis while he or she is overseas fighting the good fight.
In the song, we hear a conversation through letters between a soldier, and the rest of his family.
It begins with a letter from the soldier’s mother, talking about everything from life back home, to her missing the hell out of him.
He responds by talking about how he showed his buddies he’s fighting overseas with, and for a split second, they all forget about the battle going on outside. And once reality finally sets in, they pick up their guns and get back to work…
Next, his fiancée sends him a letter, talking about the sleepless nights she’s been having as she longs for him to get back safe.
Last, his “stubborn” father writes him for the first time ever, and for the first time, he finally tells his son how proud he is of him.
Written by Tony Lane and David Lee, Montgomery grabs the heart strings with this one, as each letter progressively gets more and more emotional.
As we remember those who lost their lives fighting for our country, and those who are overseas now, this song paints the perfect picture of the emotional toll it takes on both the brave men and women serving overseas, and their families.
