Where Her Heart Has Always Been By Alan Jackson - Songfacts

Toggle navigation

• Home
• Categories
• Places
• Blog
  • Blogs Home
  • News
  • Lists
  • Features
  • Songwriter Interviews
  • Song Writing
  • Fact or Fiction
  • They're Playing My Song
  • Music Quiz
  • Songfacts Pages
  • Songwriting Legends
  • Songfacts Podcast
  • All Titles
  • Authors
    • Amanda Flinner
    • April Fox
    • Bruce Pollock
    • Carl Wiser
    • Corey O'Flanagan
    • Dan MacIntosh
    • Developer
    • Ed Pearce
    • Greg Prato
    • Jeff Suwak
    • Jess Grant
    • Laura Antonelli
    • Leslie Michele Derrough
    • Maggie Grimason
    • Nicole Roberge
    • Roger Catlin
    • Shawna Ortega
    • Stephanie Myers
    • Trevor Morelli
• Browse
  • Songs
  • Artists
  • Places
  • Years
  • Categories

Search

Where Her Heart Has Always Beenby Alan Jackson

Album: Where Have You Gone (2021) License This Song  lyricsartistfacts

Songfacts®:

• When Alan Jackson's mom, Ruth Musick "Mama Ruth" Jackson, died aged 86 on January 7, 2017, the country legend wrote this song for her funeral service.
• Mama Ruth died peacefully at her home in Newnan, Georgia. During this song, her son recounts the moment of her passing.The morning light was soft and lowThe clouds had left an early snowA peaceful sound was calling low"It's time to go"Jackson's mom had a strong Christian faith, and he knows she's now in a far better place.And now she's dancing in the windWith her true love againWhere her heart has always been
• "Where Her Heart Has Always Been" opens with an old recording of Mama Ruth reading from the Bible. One of Jackson's sisters found the recording after the initial mix of the song was complete, and he and his team added it on to complete the track. "That was sweet. Towards the last few years, she had a scratchy voice," the singer-songwriter told Taste Of Country. "But she was just such a sweet woman, a sweet, sweet lady, so we had to have that on here."
• Mama Ruth served as inspiration for several of her son's projects down the years: Jackson originally created Precious Memories, a collection of traditional gospel songs, as a Mother's Day gift to her with no intention of releasing it to the public.His 2002 Let It Be Christmas album, which features renditions of traditional Christmas music, was inspired by Mama Ruth's wish to hear her son record some of the holiday's traditional classics.His 1990 song "Home" (released as a single in 1996) describes his parents' house built around an old tool shed. It was the place where Jackson and his four sisters grew up and Mama Ruth died.
• The song is one of three that Jackson recorded for his Where Have You Gone album inspired by his family. He also included two tunes that he wrote for his daughters' weddings: "You'll Always Be My Baby" and "I Do."

• More songs from Alan Jackson
• More songs with clips from movies, TV shows or speeches
• More songs about a mother or father
• More songs about death
• More songs about Heaven
• More songs from 2021
• Lyrics to Where Her Heart Has Always Been
• Alan Jackson Artistfacts

Your name as you would like it displayed Your Locaton Your Comment send your comment

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Voices Carry'Til Tuesday

The MTV classic "Voices Carry" is by 'Til Tuesday, a group fronted by Aimee Mann. She wrote the lyric about a friend who's partner wanted to keep their fling a secret.

Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)Kate Bush

The Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill" is about making a deal with God to switch lives with your partner so there would be no more misunderstandings.

Three Week HeroPJ Proby

The first time Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones all recorded together in the studio was when they backed American singer PJ Proby on his Three Week Hero album.

Uncle John's BandGrateful Dead

There's a lot of Americana in "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead, including references to "Buckdancer's Choice" (an Appalachian folk song) and "Fire And Ice," a Robert Frost poem.

Fallin'Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys got a huge break when Oprah had her perform her debut single "Fallin'" on her show.

Back In The U.S.S.R.The Beatles

"Back In The U.S.S.R." by The Beatles was play on "California Girls" by The Beach Boys, with "Moscow girls" and "Ukraine girls" instead of the all-American girls.

Editor's Picks

Steely DanFact or Fiction

Did they really trade their guitarist to The Doobie Brothers? Are they named after something naughty? And what's up with the band name?

Rush: Album by Album - A Conversation With Martin PopoffSong Writing

A talk with Martin Popoff about his latest book on Rush and how he assessed the thousands of albums he reviewed.

Mike Scott of The WaterboysSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Whole Of The Moon" and "Red Army Blues," and why rock music has "outlived its era of innovation."

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Petula ClarkSongwriter Interviews

Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.

Ian Astbury of The CultSongwriter Interviews

The Cult frontman tells who the "Fire Woman" is, and talks about performing with the new version of The Doors.

Songfacts® Newsletter

A monthly update on our latest interviews, stories and added songs

What's your email? SUBSCRIBE

Information

• About Us
• Terms of Service
• Our Privacy Policy
• Google Privacy Policy
• Songfacts API
• Music History Calendar
• Song Licensing
• Affiliate Disclosure
• Contact Us
• Privacy Manager

Follow Us

• Facebook
• X (Twitter)
• YouTube

Contribution

• Message Boards
• Songfacts Writers

©2026 Songfacts, LLC