Some stories carry a weight only the person who lived them can truly feel. In 1994, before Trace Adkins’ music career had even begun to take flight, he faced a moment that could have ended everything. During a heated argument with his then-wife, a .38-caliber bullet was fired straight into his chest. It pierced his lung, broke ribs, and stopped just millimeters from his heart. Doctors said that if the bullet had traveled even slightly differently, Trace would not be here to tell the story.
Yet, remarkably, he held no bitterness. Instead, Trace saw it as a reminder that every single day alive is a gift. He still carries the bullet in his chest — not as a scar of bitterness, but as proof of resilience.
After the incident, Trace became even more determined to chase his dream. He left his oil rig job behind, moved to Nashville, and signed his first recording contract just a few years later. Songs like “Every Light in the House”, “You’re Gonna Miss This”, and “Arlington” bear the weight of gratitude and the emotional depth that comes from having looked death in the eye.
This is not just a story about survival. It’s about choosing to live — to live stronger, more grateful, and to pour that hard-earned perspective into music that touches millions.
🎵 Suggested listening: “You’re Gonna Miss This” – Trace Adkins
She was staring out the window, of their SUV Complaining, saying, “I can’t wait to turn 18” She said, “I’ll make my own money, and I’ll make my own rules” Mama put the car in park out there in front of the school And she kissed her head, and said, “I was just like you”
You’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back You’re gonna wish these days, hadn’t gone by so fast These are some good times, so take a good look around You may not know it now, but you’re gonna miss this
Before she knows it, she’s a brand-new bride In her one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by He tells her, “It’s a nice place”, she says, “It’ll do for now” Starts talking about babies, and buying a house And daddy shakes his head, and says, “Baby, just slow down”
‘Cause you’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back You’re gonna wish these days, hadn’t gone by so fast These are some good times, so take a good look around You may not know it now, but you’re gonna miss this
Five years later, there’s a plumber, working on the water heater Dog’s barking, phone’s ringing, one kid’s crying, one kid’s screaming And she keeps apologizing, he says, “They don’t bother me I’ve got two babies of my own, one’s 36, one’s 23″ Huh, it’s hard to believe
But you’re gonna miss this, you’re gonna want this back You’re gonna wish these days, hadn’t gone by so fast These are some good times, so take a good look around You may not know it now, but you’re gonna miss this You’re gonna miss this, yeah, you’re gonna miss this
