Garth Brooks Tears Up and Restarts ‘Belleau Wood’ During CBS Holiday Special

Garth Brooks had to pause his performance of “Belleau Wood” during CBS’ Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event after becoming visibly emotional while singing the World War I-inspired song.

Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, brought their music to primetime television Sunday night for their second CBS special of 2020, delivering a mix of holiday favorites and other songs to celebrate the season.

An Emotional Performance of “Belleau Wood”

Brooks had planned to perform the full version of “Belleau Wood,” rather than the abbreviated version he typically sings during live appearances.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since I played the whole version, but if it’s not too much for you guys, I’d like to play the whole song,” he told viewers before beginning.

Yearwood offered a few words of encouragement. “Good luck, buddy,” she said. “This one makes me cry and I never cry.”

Going LIVE on @CBS for #GarthandTrishaLIVE! Tweet us your requests! Merry Christmas Xo pic.twitter.com/InPwI7ABlz

— Trisha Yearwood (@trishayearwood) December 21, 2020

Brooks began the song with its opening image of a quiet battlefield:

“Oh the snowflakes fell in silence / Over Belleau Wood that night,” he sang. “For a Christmas truce had been declared / By both sides of the fight.”

As the performance continued, Brooks became overcome with emotion and stopped singing. He wiped away a tear before gathering himself and starting again.

“I’m gonna get this,” he said before resuming the song.

The Story Behind “Belleau Wood”

Brooks co-wrote “Belleau Wood” for his 1997 album Sevens. The song draws inspiration from the Battle of Belleau Wood during World War I, but its story is fictional.

The song imagines a Christmas truce involving British, French and German soldiers. It is told from the perspective of a soldier in a trench who hears a German soldier begin singing “Silent Night.”

One by one, the soldiers on the battlefield join in, creating a brief moment of peace between men who had been fighting one another. By the following morning, the truce has ended and the war resumes.

That message appeared to carry particular weight for Brooks during the CBS performance. After finishing the song, he explained why he remains so connected to it.

“I love that song,” Brooks said, describing its message as “so pretty.” He specifically pointed to the sentiment, “Here’s hoping we both live to see us find a better way.”

Viewers were moved by Brooks’ emotional performance as well, with several fans taking to Twitter to share their reactions to the moment.

A Holiday Concert Filled With Fan Requests

The special featured a range of holiday songs performed by Brooks and Yearwood. Before the broadcast, fans were invited to request songs for the couple through the hashtag #GarthandTrishaLIVE.

Among the selections were holiday standards such as “Silent Night,” “Feliz Navidad” and “O Holy Night.” The couple also performed Dolly Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas,” adding a newer-era holiday favorite to the program.

Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event marked the couple’s second CBS special of the year.

Their first broadcast came after one of their weekly Facebook Live performances attracted such a large audience that the platform briefly crashed. The success of that online performance ultimately led Brooks and Yearwood to primetime television again, this time with a holiday concert that gave viewers a particularly memorable rendition of “Belleau Wood.”