Patrick Gibson grew up to the sounds of music, including performing with his dad, so it seemed natural he’d express himself through songwriting. As a young adult, Gibson’s talent took him straight to the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee, where he continued to write, perform and record. Gibson also captured the attention of the industry’s stars and accepted invitations to tour with Rhett Akins, Rodney Atkins, Lee Brice, Colt Ford, the Bellamy Brothers, Ronnie Milsap and others.

Always writing, many of Gibson’s compositions convey the depth of his faith and allegiance to those who serve the country, including law enforcement officers. As he describes here, that sentiment shines bright in his recent release, “The American Prayer.”

Another shift, same ol’ place

Another start to another day

Puts on his back, straps on his gun

Says goodbye to his wife and son

He heads out into the world
not knowin’ what’s in store

Does his job, he protects
and then prays a little more

—“The American Prayer” by Patrick Gibson

Where do you usually find inspiration for your songwriting?

Inspiration comes from the world around us; just being a human with an attraction to feeling and entertaining. When you put feeling into entertainment and share the message of the truth of what people are going through, that’s powerful. 

What motivated you to write a song honoring law enforcement?

They are special individuals and consistently put their lives on the line and their families’ lives on the line. Law enforcement has been held against the fire [for quite some time], but that was brought into the light during the pandemic and the calls to defund the police. I wanted to say we support you; your work is not in vain. Plus, I have close friends who serve on the force, and I’ve had conversations with their wives, moms and dads. Those talks opened my eyes. That’s when I took pen to paper [because I felt the] need to share messages of how we can support them, but I also wanted to say that to their families.

How long did it take you to write the song?

I had the lyrics set in a few days, but from writing through production, it took a few months. The music behind it had to be something people would listen to. This is a big message with all the craziness going on, and I wanted to make sure we had the message right. 

What kind of reaction did you receive from the officers and their families who you invited to appear in the video?

That was super cool. This is a real message, so we wanted to use real people and their families. Plus, I know a lot of them personally: I break bread with them; I go to church with them; I see them on a daily basis. We reached out to them one by one to ask if they would be interested in making an appearance and if they wanted to support our message. They kept giving me thanks, and I would say, “No, no, I’m the one giving thanks.”

We personally reached out to Chief [Chuck] Broadway from Clermont, Florida, where I currently reside, and he was excited to get on board and got his fellow LEOs to film. They were very supportive. Also, I was excited to see that Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, [Florida], supports our message. 

What has been the reaction among other law enforcement professionals?

We get a lot of messages from all over the country. LEO wives and husbands have reached out to us to say how cool it is we are using our public platform to support the men and women in law enforcement and their families. That’s what the song talks about — the sacrifice is theirs as well. Police officers do not have normal lives. They could leave the house and not know if they are coming home. I can feel the tears in their eyes from their responses. 

Do you have a favorite lyric?

If I had to pinpoint something, it would be the bridge: “Ain’ none of us perfect, just tryna do our best. We pray for protection for those sworn to protect.” That line brings it full circle. 

Do you have any future singles coming out that honor law enforcement?

We’ve got several songs supporting law enforcement and the military that we hope to release soon. For me, my family and my musical team, we would like to thank the men and women LEOs who serve wholeheartedly. The musical message is how we support what they do, and we want them to know they are prayed for.

Watch “The American Prayer” video at www.pgcountry.com.