"Travelin' Soldier" is a song written and originally recorded by American country music artist Bruce Robison

Bruce Robison

Bruce Robison is an Austin-based Texas country music singer-songwriter. Bruce and his brother, fellow singer-songwriter Charlie Robison, grew up in Bandera, Texas near San Antonio, and he currently resides in Austin, Texas...

 in 1996 and again, in rewritten form, in 1999. It was later recorded by Ty England

Ty England

Gary Tyler "Ty" England is an American country music singer and guitarist. Initially a member of Garth Brooks' band, England began his solo career in 1995, recording a self-titled debut album on RCA Records. A second album, Two Ways to Fall, followed in 1996...

 on his 1999 album Highways & Dance Halls

Highways & Dance Halls

Highways & Dance Halls is the third studio album released by American country music artist Ty England. Released in 1999 as his only album for Capitol Records, it is also the only album which he recorded under his birth name of Tyler England....

. The first rendition to be issued as a single was by the Dixie Chicks

Dixie Chicks

The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...

 in December 2002, from their album Home

Home (Dixie Chicks album)

Home is the sixth studio album by American country band Dixie Chicks, released in 2002 on Monument/Columbia Records. It is notable for its acoustic bluegrass sound, which stands in contrast with their previous two country pop albums....

. It became the group's sixth and final single to reach #1 on Billboard "Hot Country Singles & Tracks" (now "Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs

Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...

"). A version of the song featuring Natalie Maines

Natalie Maines

Natalie Louise Maines Pasdar is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success as the lead vocalist for the female alternative country band, the Dixie Chicks...

 of the Dixie Chicks, Bruce Robison and Robison's wife, Kelly Willis

Kelly Willis

Kelly Willis is an American country music singer-songwriter, whose music has been described as contemporary country, alternative country and new traditionalist.-Early life:...

, appears on KGSR

KGSR

KLZT is a radio station broadcasting an Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Bastrop, Texas, USA, the station serves the Austin area. The station is currently owned by Emmis Communications. The station is also broadcast on HD radio. It builds itself as La Z 107.1, -History:The station went on the...

's Broadcasts Vol. 13 album.

Content

The song is a tale about a shy, lonesome, young American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 soldier

Soldier

A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...

 who strikes up a conversation and later a correspondence with a high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 girl during the Vietnam War

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

 era. Americana

Americana

Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...

 details pervade the lyrics, including piers, school bands, public prayer, and Friday night football games. At the end, the soldier has died, unnoticed by any but the young girl he realized he had fallen in love with.

Reception

Kevin John Coyne, reviewing the song for Country Universe, rated the song #17 on his list of the 201 Greatest Singles of the Decade. He stated that "it's the story between the lines that drives home the tragedy, as both main characters have a palpable sense of loneliness that they finally find relief from in one another just before they are ripped permanently apart."

Dixie Chicks controversy

The song was being promoted by the Dixie Chicks when on March 10, 2003, lead singer Natalie Maines

Natalie Maines

Natalie Louise Maines Pasdar is an American singer-songwriter who achieved success as the lead vocalist for the female alternative country band, the Dixie Chicks...

 told a London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, England, audience the band was ashamed that then United States President George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 was from Texas

Texas

Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

. Subsequent U.S. publication of Maines' comments caused some stations, including 42 owned by Cumulus Media

Cumulus Media

Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...

, to drop the song from their playlists, causing it to fall from #1 on the country singles chart to #3 the following week, March 29, before disappearing from the charts entirely.

"Travelin' Soldier" is the last single released by the Dixie Chicks to reach the top 20 on the country singles chart, although their 2007 single "Not Ready to Make Nice

Not Ready to Make Nice

"Not Ready to Make Nice" is a country pop song co-written and performed by the American all-female band Dixie Chicks for their seventh studio album Taking the Long Way...

", peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 while reaching #36 on the country chart.

Chart positions

Chart (2003)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	25

Other versions

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...

released a cover in 2003, shortly after the Dixie Chicks' version fell from #1.