Keith Urban Honors Act of Valor

Nashville felt a bit like Hollywood a couple weeks ago.  The reason was a celebrity-studded screening of the new movie “Act Of Valor.”  The guest list included Keith Urban, Trace Adkins, Jake Owen, and Wynonna, all of whom have songs on the movie’s soundtrack.  Afterwards, Keith told Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton he was moved by the film: “It’s a real extraodinary film because it features active duty Navy SEALS in the main roles, so there’s no actors in this.  The other reason is it’s based on the actual missions these guys have been on.  You watch this thing and think you’ve seen a lot of action films, but when you watch this and these are guys are the real deal, this is what they really do, and it’s based on an actual event that happened to these guys, you can’t fathom it, it’s unbelievable, but it’s very believeable because using them in that role is what makes the film work so well.”

Keith wrote and performed a song that’s played with the closing credits.  Keith told Lon he was commissioned by the producers to write the song. “They called and said ‘We like the songs you do because there’s a sense of optimism and hope in your songs, and we’d like that at the end of the film.’  So Nic & I went to see the film at a screening room, and I took all these notes, and thought, ‘Where do I start?’  So we took two days to write the song, and the first day was just talking our whole philosophy about the military.  What touched me about the film was the willingness of these men and women to give their life.  Literally give their life for what they believe in.  So I asked myself, ‘What am I willing to give my life for?” I’m not a Navy SEAL.  I can’t do what they do.  But what’s my version of that in my life?  What do I believe in, like they believe in.  So that was the start of the song.”

LISTEN TO KEITH HERE: 12-08 Keith6

The movie opens next Friday, February 24th.  Keith says he learned a lot about the SEALS from the movie.  “These guys and girls are such an extraordinary breed of people, they have such a deep ingrained sense of honor and duty, and there’s a scene in the film, the moment where you give your life, will stop you in your tracks.  That was the start of the first verse.  We wrote from that scene and the song came about.” 

Keith went on to say he received a lot of support and advice from his wife, actress Nicole Kidman: “I’ve never written for something.  I felt tremendous pressure and expectation.  I was just a couple weeks from my surgery.  I felt every part of this was one shot, and I don’t do well with that.  But Nic was great, she said ‘I really think you can do this, I think you’ll do great.”

So as you sat in that advance screening, knowing your song was coming, what did you think? “I was really grateful that the song makes so much sense once you see the film.  So it’s just right to be in the credits.  As I said, the whole first verse came from a scene in the film, so I think most people at the end of the film will have that scene in their minds, so when you hear the song, and you hear the lyric, it’ll make a lot of sense.”

LISTEN TO KEITH HERE: 12-08 Keith7

Did you meet any SEALS at the premiere?  I did, after the film, there was all of the guys in this film, they were all there, I got to spend a couple hours with them.  They said, ‘You know what it’s like, you go on tour and leave your families,’ and I’m like, ‘Look, I appreciate the similarity, but there is no similarity.  It’s matchless.  No one knows what that’s like except you guys.’  The guys who directed the film, they’ve been connected with the SEALS community for a long time, they’re close to that circle, so the shots they get, I’ve never seen that kind of action, it’s a remarkable film.”

In addition to Keith Urban, the sountrack features new songs by Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Jake Owen, Wynonna, Hunter Hayes, and more.  It’s available this Tuesday, February 21st.  You can hear Keith’s song below, and see the trailer for the movie.

Tags: urban

Category: Audio, VIDEO