Mark Wills has made seven trip overseas to play for the American Armed Forces. He knows what men and women who fight for our country go through while abroad, and it's clear from listening to his new single, 'Crazy Being Home,' that he knows what the experience is like once he or she returns to the States.

Wills describes something similar to culture shock: soldiers struggling to fit back in with domestic life after serving three, six or 12 month tours in Iraq or Afghanistan. In the first verse, his hero forgets simple things like directions to a best friend's house. The second verse describes the loneliness.

"He stepped off a plane / Feels like yesterday / They were waving flags and signs with his name / They said they were proud of what he had done / If they only knew who he had become / The girl he'd loved she swore she would wait / But he came home to a cold empty place / Had a burger today / Got a new cell phone / It's crazy being home."

The word 'crazy' is deliberately used in this song to focus one's attention on the mental adjustments soldiers make upon returning home. Even those not treated for PTSD take some time to adjust to the changes in life since deployment. Many, as Wills describes, wish they were back overseas. "He got the call, was back on a plane / To where he belongs that might sound insane / But his brothers are there, they can't fight this alone."

While Wills' message is powerful, the song lacks the hook to quickly endear it to country listeners. 'Crazy Being Home' is big and heavy and difficult to wrap one's arms around unless there's the determination to do so. It's an honorable minority who will be willing.

3 Stars
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