Nashville Police Sergeant Henry Particelli just released a powerful, and timely, new song and video, “Your Name.” Inspired by all of the tragedy he witnesses firsthand every day, as well as the recent events happening across the country and beyond, Henry felt compelled to write “Your Name” as a message from himself, and others in law enforcement all over the country.

“I was on my way to work one morning. It was a couple of days after the passing of George Floyd,” Henry recalled to Everything Nash, adding that he listened to a few different talk radio stations, where they spoke about George, Ahmaud Arbery, and others who had been killed at the hands of police officers.

“It touched me a little differently than it does some, because of what I do for a living and the circumstances,” Henry acknowledged. “A few folks had chosen to, without talking to me, say I wrote it about George Floyd. While that was certainly part of the influence, it was so much bigger than that. Just in general, the whole second verse, ‘Between politics, race and religion, it seems we’re all in one big, no-win competition,’ lines like that. We’re just too caught up in debating stuff instead of trying to help out. There’s more that we can all do as a society.”

Henry was driving in his police car when the idea for the song came to him, and he quickly hit record on his phone.

“The song was written with the raw emotion that I had in my heart over this situation, and over all of these situations,” Henry conceded. “So I just went home that night after work and started working on it. I worked on it Wednesday and Thursday evening after work.”

“By Monday we were in the studio, cutting it,” he added. “It happened in pretty quick timing. Obviously, with everything we’re all going through, it was important to get the message out. I honestly didn’t want to be the artist. I obviously would love for someone to cut it that has instant credibility.”

In the video for “Your Name,” Henry doesn’t reveal that he is a police officer until close to the end of the song, adding a poignant touch to the already touching tune.

“I wanted people to fall in love with the song without knowing I’m a police officer until we get to the last verse of the chorus,” Henry said. “That’s the aha moment, I guess if you will, in the video.”

The “Your Name” video garnered more than 15,000 views soon after it was released, with its popularity continuing to grow since then, offering a much-needed message of solidarity and healing, especially now.

“I’ve gotten messages from people out in California, in Canada, and all of them that have watched it,” he shared. “The conversations that I’m having with some of these folks on social media, it’s done exactly what I intended it to do, which is just to start the healing. One song is not going to fix everything. We’re all going through it. But the fact that it started the healing is just incredible.”

Henry also co-founded The Good Guys Foundation, as a way to “serve those that serve our community with pride by supporting the families of fallen Law Enforcement Officers whose end of watch occurred in the line of duty and assist Officers that suffer debilitating career ending injuries.”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Campbell Entertainment Group / Tim Sutherland