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.”
Who You Are
Carrie Underwood Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The one for whom I'd really gladly suffer
Who are you,
The one I'll always love above another
You're my world, you're my hope
You're all my dreams and all my heart
Who are you
Who are you,
That loves as deep as I do
Who are you,
Who takes me through the flood and through the fire
Who are you,
Who leads me through the desert and the dry
You're in my thoughts, you know my mind
You're all my things, you are my light
Who are you
The one I give my life to
Who are you,
That loves as deep as I do
You're my savior, you're my center
My beginning and my end
You're the one I live for, you're my angel
Who are you
You're in my thoughts (you're in my thoughts)
You know my mind (you know my mind)
You're all my things, you're all my light
Who are you
The one I give my life to
Who are you,
That loves as deep as I do
Who are you
Who fell on me like fire
Who are you,
That takes me through desire
Who are you,
The one I give my life to.
Carrie Underwood's song "There You Are" is a beautiful love ballad where the singer is talking about her soulmate, the one person who means everything to her. The lyrics express the love and dedication the singer feels towards her partner. The words "Who are you" could signify the simple curiosity of wanting to know more about this person, but they actually signify something more profound, a yearning to know the person who has captured her heart so completely. It is also about the trust and faith that the singer has in her partner, which comes through in the lines, "Who takes me through the flood and through the fire/ Who leads me through the desert and the dry."
The song is full of romantic imagery and metaphors, such as "You're my savior, you're my center/ My beginning and my end/ You're the one I live for, you're my angel." It portrays the depth of love that two people share, which goes beyond just a physical or emotional connection. It is about two souls coming together and completing each other.
Overall, "There You Are" is a classic love song that touches on the unbreakable bond between two people who are meant to be together.
Line by Line Meaning
Who are you,
Carrie wonders about the identity of the person for whom she is willing to suffer.
The one for whom I'd really gladly suffer
Carrie deeply cares for this person and is willing to go through any hardship for them.
Who are you,
Carrie reiterates her love for this person and how they stand out from anyone else.
The one I'll always love above another
Carrie's affection for this person is unparalleled and they hold a special place in her heart.
You're my world, you're my hope
This person means everything to Carrie and is the source of her happiness and optimism.
You're all my dreams and all my heart
Carrie's aspirations and emotions revolve around this person, they are her utmost priority.
Who are you
Carrie continues her inquiry, attempting to understand the presence of such a significant individual in her life.
The one I give my life to
Carrie has devoted herself to this person and is committed to them wholeheartedly.
That loves as deep as I do
This person's love for Carrie is just as profound as hers, creating an intense bond between them.
Who takes me through the flood and through the fire
This person has helped Carrie through challenging times and dangerous situations, proving their loyalty and reliability.
Who leads me through the desert and the dry
Even in the toughest circumstances, this person guides Carrie and gives her direction and support.
You're in my thoughts, you know my mind
Carrie thinks about this person a lot and trusts them completely with her thoughts and feelings.
You're all my things, you are my light
This person is everything to Carrie, they brighten up her world and bring her happiness.
You're my savior, you're my center
Carrie sees this person as her rescuer and the anchor that keeps her grounded.
My beginning and my end
This person represents the start and end of Carrie's life, they are the constant that will always be with her.
You're the one I live for, you're my angel
Carrie's reason for living and the person who protects and cares for her is this special individual.
Who fell on me like fire
This person's arrival in Carrie's life had a significant impact that was powerful and intense.
That takes me through desire
This person satisfies Carrie's needs and wants, fulfilling her desires.
Who are you,
Carrie wraps up the song by acknowledging the importance of this person and the impact they have on her life.
The one I give my life to.
This person is the person for whom Carrie is willing to sacrifice everything and devote her life to.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT JOHN LANGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BingGalore
I LOVE this song!!!! It makes me feel so close to God. Carrie's voice is perfect for this song!!
Carol Jones
Absolutely love this song. I wish she would make a gospel record. She has the most beautiful voice ever. And no one could ever sing this song more perfect then Carrie Underwood. Very touching song. Its my favorite song now that I have discovered it. Its exactly how I feel.
KingsLynnOnline
I will never tire of hearing this song. It's got everything: Great tune, awe inspiring lyrics, and the passion carried in Carrie's voice!
in themix
I love how much she loves God and is fearless about sharing it. amazing and so needed in the entertainment industry. she is an ambassador for love and faith!! this song inspires me to love God more.
Javirative
I agree. From the first time, I heard it, it became my theme song for this period of my life. Her complete range of tones came through. Can't wait for her video with this one. Go Carrie Underwood. The passion and spirituality comes through. Enough said! Great song! Great inspiration...
Glenda Stephey
She sang the song with great beauty and versatility
One of my favorite songs!
favorite song from blown away
Skippy271
I love this song. I love how her voice sounds when she says "fire." Lol
Aunt MJ
Oh how I love this song!!! You're my savior , you're my center!!
Cindi Keane
Awesome song, perfect pitch, beauty and style. She's my favorite singer of all time. What else is there to say?
Tamara Booth
How could any one dislike this song ? love it!<3