George Strait Tips His Hat To Law Enforcement In Emotional Song

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George Gears Up For New Album’s Release

When the release date of George Strait‘s album Honky Tonk Time Machine was right on the horizon, “The King of Country” pleased his eager fans by releasing a few tracks in advance.

One of those songs included a little ditty known as “Every Little Honky Tonk Bar.”

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The song has been a huge success so far, as it debuted on the Country Airplay chart at the 20th position. This marked the first time in six years that George managed to land a single in the chart’s Top 30 slots.

Another release, titled “God & Country Music” has also caught a lot of attention thanks to a special guest who sings with George on the song. That special guest is none other than his grandson, Harvey.

After the release of those two songs, George debuted yet another new one for his fans to enjoy. And this may be his most emotional track on the entire album.

A “Weighty” New Song

Titled “The Weight of the Badge,” the song was written by George, his son Bubba, and longtime collaborator Dean Dillion as a tribute to law enforcement officers across the country. It opens by describing a 15-year police veteran as he leaves his wife and kids behind for another day on the job.

The song explains that the officer’s father had served in law enforcement before he did, and now the son is carrying on the family legacy.

Things get real serious real fast when George goes on to describe how the officer was once injured in the line of duty and woke up to discover “his wife and kids praying by his bed.” But even though he had a scare, the officer expressed his strength, saying that he would never “buckle” under the weight of his badge.

Although George just released the official audio clip for “The Weight of the Badge” in March, it’s a song that a select number of fans got the chance to hear a little while ago.

The First Time He Sang It

George first played the song during one of his Vegas residency dates in February. He explained the meaning behind the song’s title before playing it, saying, “When a policeman puts a badge on it gets pretty heavy, so it’s called ‘Weight of the Badge.'”

The crowd eagerly listened to Strait’s performance of the song, soaking in every word that he sang. We’re sure there weren’t many dry eyes left in the room by the time he was through.

If you’d also like to hear what “The Weight of the Badge” sounds like in a live setting, you can catch George’s Vegas performance in the video below. This is one powerful piece of George’s career that won’t go unnoticed, that’s for sure.