The perfect song for this Veteran’s Day.
Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you to all of the brave men and women who have served our great country. Today is a day to celebrate everything they have sacrificed for all of us to live in freedom every day, and it is a privilege to live in a country with such incredible people willing to give up everything for the sake of something so noble.
There are so many great country songs about soldiers and veterans, and quite a few country artists have also served in the military, and one of the more recently-released ones that I am absolutely obsessed with is Luke Combs’ “Ever Mine.”
He first debuted it in 2020, and it was written with Hailey Whitters and Charlie Worsham. Told from the perspective of a solider writing a letter to his wife while he’s off fighting, not knowing if he’ll ever see her again, He relies on her memory to get him through the darkness of war, it’s a stunning story and something that anyone who has served this country can relate to.
The song opens up with the start of the letter, as the soldier hopes that everything is going well back home as he admits he’s growing weary and doesn’t know if and when he’ll ever get to come home:
“My dearest darling,
I miss you more than words can tell,
I hope the garden’s growing tall,
You’re in good spirits and good health,
We’ve traveled far now,
With a long way to go still,
I know not yet when I’ll return or if I ever will,
Each day grows colder,
Filled with powder, smoke and steel,
I worry before it’s over, I’ve forgotten how to feel
I keep your picture in the pocket of my coat
I sometimes find when I’m alone
It’s my last bit of hope”
He goes on to talk about how some of the boys he’s fighting with are not “much older” than their own children, though they “they fight like men and then get cut down before they’re grown”:
“Some of these boys aren’t much older than our own
They fight like men and then get cut down before they’re grown
This is my prayer that our daughter and our sons
Wrap their arms around each other and never around a gun
He signs of by saying that he’ll always find his way back to her, and it’s her love that keeps him going:
“It’s the grips of these troubled times
A way back to you I’ll always find
You’re the wind that whispers through the pines
Bloom in the rows, green on the vine
Until we meet again my love sincerely signed
I’m ever yours, you’re ever mine”
It’s one of Combs’ absolute best, there’s so much depth and meaning, and while Luke’s studio version is just beautiful… of course, the acoustic is my favorite:
Speaking of the studio version, and earlier this year, Luke finally gave the fans a studio cut, which was featured on his album The Way I Am with the great Alison Krauss, who provides background vocals. Vocally, they’re a match made in heaven, and we all know Krauss is one of the greatest singers alive. Combs has a much more gritty and powerful voice, while Krauss has an incredible pure and stunning kind of delivery, and it really is a perfect pairing.
There’s some lovely production on it, plenty of fiddle and it almost feels like a bluegrass song, which makes so much sense with the Krauss feature and works so well. If you’ve never heard it, today is the perfect day to change that.
And to all of the Veteran’s out there, as well as those who are no longer with us, thank you for all of your many sacrifices to keep America safe. We are the country we are because of you.
“Ever Mine ft. Alison Krauss”
Luke is up for three awards at the 2026 CMA Awards next week, including Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year for The Way I Am.
The show will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena next Wednesday, November 18th on ABC, with Lainey Wilson hosting.
