With more than 64 million albums sold worldwide, 18 #1 singles, with seven as co-writes, Seven Grammys, and countless other accolades---all achieved with four albums in less than eight years---some artists might feel as though they’d earned the right to rest on their laurels, but not Carrie Underwood. Fueled by a restless creative spirit, good-natured competitive streak and abundance of God-given talent, Carrie unleashes her most ambitious project yet with Blown Away.
Teaming again with producer Mark Bright, Carrie delivers a 14-song collection that covers a particularly vast expanse of emotional territory. She celebrates the understated pleasures of small town living in “Thank God for Hometowns” and explores the exquisite fragility of life in “Forever Changed.” She’s not averse to tackling abuse and betrayal then doling out a little sweet revenge with such compelling tracks as “Blown Away” and “Two Black Cadillacs.” Musically the songs range from rollicking up-tempo anthems, such as the hit first single “Good Girl” to the island-flavored escape of “One Way Ticket” and the steel guitar-laced country lament of “Wine After Whiskey.”
Such musical and lyrical diversity is the foundation of Carrie’s artistry. After all, this is a young woman who has performed with Steven Tyler on a top-rated edition of CMT’s “Crossroads,” scored a No. 1 country hit with good friend Brad Paisley on “Remind Me,” and sang with the iconic Tony Bennett on the 2012 Grammy telecast, delivering the classic “It Had to be You,” their collaboration on Bennett’s Duets II album.
The Oklahoma native is a fan of all types of music, yet she’s purposefully planted herself in the country format, even while her eclectic tastes have influenced her creative output. She’s been careful to not get pigeonholed and prides herself on not being predictable. “I feel like I’ve taken all of my albums into as many different directions as possible while still keeping them cohesive,” she says. “I love this album from start to finish and love every song on it. There’s not one single song that’s like another song I’ve ever done. I think it’s my best album. I really do think there’s something for everyone.”
Her ability to be unique yet accessible has been crucial to Carrie’s career from the beginning. She became America’s sweetheart in 2005 when she won the fourth season of American Idol, a vehicle that transformed her from a shy Oklahoma girl with a great voice to a budding superstar. Since then she’s become the popular franchise’s most successful alumni.
She’s won a vast array of awards including three female vocalist awards from both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). In 2010, when Carrie garnered her second win as ACM Entertainer of the Year, she became the first female artist to win the award twice, and only the 7th female to take the award in the 40-year history of the ACM category, among Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, and the Dixie Chicks. Carrie also received the ACM Triple Crown Award, thanks to her past wins for the categories of Entertainer of the Year, Top Female Vocalist and Top New Female Vocalist, which has been won by only one other female artist – Barbara Mandrell in 2004. In addition to the above, Carrie’s won 7 American Music Awards, 6 People’s Choice Awards, 9 CMT Music Awards, 9 American Country Awards, and 7 BMI Songwriter Awards. Carrie also received a Golden Globe nomination in 2010 for “Best Original Song” for “There’s A Place For Us” from Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader which she both recorded and co-wrote.
Carrie’s 2005 debut Some Hearts topped Billboard’s Country Albums chart for 27 weeks, has sold over 7 million copies, and was voted #1 Country Album of the Decade by Billboard. Both her 2007 sophomore album, Carnival Ride and 2009’s Play On debuted at No. 1. Her current album, Blown Away, debuted atop the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, where it held the No. 1 spot for two consecutive weeks. Over the course of four albums, she’s saturated country radio with such hits as “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” “Before He Cheats,” “So Small,” “Last Name,” “Just A Dream,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Temporary Home,” “All-American Girl,” “Undo It,” “Mama’s Song,” “Good Girl,” and “Blown Away.”
Carrie’s highly acclaimed concert tours have further helped to establish her into the elite status of the country music community, or in any genre of music, with her stellar performances. In 2008, after wrapping her “Carnival Ride Tour” she became the top selling country female touring artist of the year selling out many of the 137 shows before 1.2 million fans. In that year, Carrie also became the most-heard artist at country radio and was named the #1 Hot Country Songs Artist by Billboard and #1 Top Country Artist by Radio & Records. In 2010, her next headline arena tour, the “Play On Tour,” played 108 shows with one million fans attending which resulted in Carrie being named again as the top-ranked female country touring artist of the year. Carrie is currently on her critically-acclaimed international “Blown Away Tour”, which began at London’s historic Royal Albert Hall, and continued throughout Australia, before launching in North America in September of 2012.
Carrie is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and expanded her resume making her acting debut in the 2011 film “Soul Surfer.” She can be seen in print and TV ads as the North American face of Olay beauty products, and has a long-running deal with vitaminwater®. One of Country Music’s most respected young ambassadors, Carrie has served as co-host of the CMA Awards with Brad Paisley the past five years.
Yet for those who think they know Carrie, Blown Away is likely to catch them by surprise, particularly the cinematic title track with its swirling, atmospheric production and intense lyric about abuse and revenge. “I got chills,” she says of the first time she heard the Josh Kear/Chris Tompkins penned stunner. “I remember where I was when I heard it and called my manager and said, ‘Do not let anyone else have this song. It’s my song’ . . . It’s such a visual song. You listen to it and you can see everything that is happening. It’s so dramatic. I’m not a drama person, but when you can make a movie in song form in 3 ½ minutes, it’s surreal.”
“Blown Away” finds a daughter getting revenge on an abusive, alcoholic father and the next song, “Two Black Cadillacs,” also has a larger-than-life cinematic quality which makes both tunes feel like mini-movies set to music. “Two Black Cadillacs” relates the story of a wife and mistress who conspire to get even with the man who betrayed them both. “It’s just more drama,” says Carrie, who co-wrote the tune with Josh Kear and Hillary Lindsey. “It was so much fun creating all this drama and singing about it. That’s the great thing about being an entertainer; you’re just a big actor. When we start sitting down and writing songs, you just never know what’s going to come out.”
Carrie co-wrote eight of the 14 songs on Blown Away, including the first single, Good Girl" which reached number 1 on the country airplay charts and is certified platinum. ‘Good Girl’ was one of the last ones I wrote for the album,” she says of the tune she penned with Chris DeStefano and Ashley Gorley. “We wanted something a little more fun and up-tempo. Chris DeStefano is just a mad scientist with his Pro Tools and he can play every instrument. We walked out of that writing session with a demo. It sounded awesome. It was ready to go. We let everybody hear it and everybody was so excited.”
“Cupid’s Got a Shotgun” is another of the album’s high-energy tracks and it gets an extra kick from Paisley contributing his signature guitar licks. “Once we got into the studio, I was like Brad Paisley HAS to play on this. He’ll make the song,” Carrie says of the tune, she wrote with Kear and Tompkins. “We left so much space in the song for him to come in and play. He did his thing and sounded awesome. He added that last piece of the puzzle and it’s just so country. It’s really cool.”
In addition to being musically inventive, Carrie has long been known for delivering songs with substance, and the new album delivers its share of potent messages. “Nobody Ever Told You,” which Carrie wrote with Luke Laird and Hillary Lindsey, boasts an empowering lyric and a breezy, engaging melody. “People need to hear compliments more,” she says of the song’s life-affirming lyric. “People need to hear ‘I love you’ more. People need to hear ‘You are beautiful’ more.”
“Good in Goodbye,” co-written by Carrie, Lindsey and Ryan Tedder, is a bittersweet look at life beyond heartbreak that offers tender truth in the lines “As bad as it was/As bad as it hurt/I thank God I didn’t get what I thought I deserved.” On the other end of the emotional spectrum, “Thank God for Hometowns” is a sweet salute to small town life. “I heard that one when I was going back to my 10 year high school reunion,” the Checotah, OK native says. “I listened to the demo when I was driving in to go stay with my parents. It was just very fitting in my heart at that time.”
“Forever Changed” is a beautiful ballad that brings tears to Carrie’s eyes as she discusses it. “I had a hard time recording it and I still have a hard time listening to it,” she says of the Tom Douglas/Hillary Lindsey/James T. Slater penned ballad. “That is the most wonderfully well written song I’ve ever heard in my life. There’s this young girl meeting the love of her life, getting married and having a baby. It takes you back in time and there is something old fashioned about it. At the end, the mom’s obviously slipping a way a little bit. It is a sad song, but it’s not meant to be a sad song. It’s about love, being forever changed, forever loved.”
In a few short years, Carrie has seen the power music has to change lives---to incite dialog, to instill hope, and to simply entertain. She’s aware of the platform she’s been given. She respects it and appreciates every moment. “I’m very happy in my life and I count my blessings every day,” she says. “Seven years ago when I decided to try out for American Idol, my life changed completely in the blink of an eye. I went down a different train track and took off at about a million miles per hour. I feel like I’m still learning. In the beginning, it was like, ‘Oh, I have a No. 1. That’s awesome!’ I didn’t really understand what that meant. ‘Jesus, Take The Wheel’ and ‘Before He Cheats’ were No. 1 for several weeks, and that doesn’t happen often, but I had no idea. I realize now what hard work it actually is and I feel like I can appreciate those victories even more. Touring is more fun because I know what it’s like to headline a tour. I feel like I’m able to be more and more creative all the time. I always feel like I’m taking steps forward.”
All-American Girl
Carrie Underwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He'd been praying for a little baby boy
Someone he could take fishing
Throw the football and be his pride and joy
He could already see him holding that trophy
Taking his team to State
But when the nurse came in with a little pink blanket
And now he's wrapped around her finger
She's the center of his whole world
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American girl
Sixteen short years later
She was falling for the senior football star
Before you knew it he was dropping passes
Skipping practice just to spend more time with her
The coach said "Hey son, what's your problem?
Tell me, have you lost your mind?"
Daddy said "You'll lose your free ride to college
Boy you better tell her goodbye"
But now he's wrapped around her finger
She's the center of his whole world
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American
And when they got married and decided to have one of their own
She said "Be honest, tell me what you want?"
And he said "Honey, you wanna know
Sweet, little, beautiful, one just like you
Oh, a beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American"
Now he's wrapped around her finger
She's the center of his whole world
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American girl
All American girl
The song "All-American Girl" by Carrie Underwood is a touching story about a father's dream for his son that changes when he has a daughter. The lyrics talk about the father's hopes and aspirations for his baby boy, including wanting to teach him how to fish, play football, and see him win trophies. However, when the nurse comes in with a pink blanket instead of a blue one, the father's dream changes. He falls in love with his daughter instantly and becomes wrapped around her finger. She becomes the center of his world, and his heart belongs to her completely.
Fast forward sixteen years, and the daughter falls in love with a senior football player. The father sees his daughter settling into her all-American life, complete with a football-playing boyfriend, and he is happy. However, when the boyfriend's athletic performances start slipping because he wants to spend more time with his girlfriend, the father gets worried. The coach confronts the boyfriend, and a rift forms between the boyfriend and the father. But ultimately, the love between the girl and her boyfriend prevails, and they get married.
The song touches on how a father's love can change when he sees his daughter, and how the love between a father and his daughter can be just as strong as that between a father and his son. It also portrays the beauty of an all-American life and the values that come with it, including love, family, and sportsmanship.
Line by Line Meaning
Since the day they got married
Ever since the day they got married
He'd been praying for a little baby boy
He had constantly prayed for a baby boy
Someone he could take fishing
He was looking for someone to go fishing with
Throw the football and be his pride and joy
Someone he could play football with and be proud of
He could already see him holding that trophy
He could already see his son winning trophies
Taking his team to State
Winning a tournament representing his state
But when the nurse came in with a little pink blanket
When the nurse brought in a baby girl wrapped in a pink blanket
All those big dreams changed
All the dreams he had about his son disappeared
And now he's wrapped around her finger
He now does everything his daughter asks him to
She's the center of his whole world
His daughter is now the most important thing in his life
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American girl
He loves his daughter more than anything else and thinks she is perfect
Sixteen short years later
After sixteen years
She was falling for the senior football star
She was in love with the senior football star
Before you knew it he was dropping passes
After some time he started missing passes
Skipping practice just to spend more time with her
He started avoiding practice to spend more time with her
The coach said "Hey son, what's your problem?
The coach asked him what was wrong with him
Tell me, have you lost your mind?"
He asked him if he had gone crazy
Daddy said "You'll lose your free ride to college
Her father warned that he would lose his scholarship if he continued ignoring practice
Boy you better tell her goodbye"
He advised him to break up with his daughter
But now he's wrapped around her finger
Now the football star does everything to make his daughter happy
And his heart belongs to that sweet little beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American
He also loves his daughter as much as her father
And when they got married and decided to have one of their own
When they got married and decided to have a child
She said "Be honest, tell me what you want?"
She asked him what he wanted in a child
And he said "Honey, you wanna know
He replied that he wanted a child just like her
Sweet, little, beautiful, one just like you
He wanted a sweet, little and beautiful child like her
Oh, a beautiful, wonderful, perfect all-American"
He wanted the child to be perfect and all-American like them
All American girl
The song title and repetition of the idea that his daughter is 'all American'
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ashley Glenn Gorley, Kelley Lovelace, Carrie Underwood
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jehoia87
Quarantine has me so bored, I counted all of Carrie's characters:
1. herself
2. painter
3. chef
4. fire fighter
5. swimmer
6. cow girl
7. nurse
8. waitress
9. Miss All-American
10. cop
11. bride
12. doctor
13. football player
14. flight attendant
15. cheerleader
16. photographer
17. news reporter
18. criminal
19. college grad
20. college student
21. seamstress
22. ballet dancer
23. wielder
24. mom/wife
25. chemist
26. president
27. veterinarian
28. astronaut
29. army vet
30. teacher
@pauldickinson3961
The one Carrie Underwood song where nobody dies.
@emmamiles9118
Hahaha
@carolinearthmann5397
SOOOO TRUE
@siddlesbest1483
FACTS!!!
@maiara_
🙄
@emmamiles9118
Maiara it’s true
@ilovecats8855
Old school Carrie underwood bringing me back to age eight
@kailahk19
lol
@aran125
Lol 😂 May be “old school” to you. Wait till you turn 30 and the time just zips.
@ryanstreuli9554
I'm 21 and her first two albums are my childhood, listening to th in the car