WHO? Meet the Artist

Carrie Underwood is an American Country Singer, who took the music industry by storm when she won the fourth season of American Idol in 2005.

Prior to winning the reality singing competition, Underwood was living the simple life on her family's farm in the small ton of Checotah, Oklahoma. A senior in college, about to wrap up her degree in broadcasting, Underwood heard about the American Idol auditions in St. Louis, Missouri. Along with her mother, Underwood made the drive from rural Oklahoma all the way to St. Louis. This would prove to be the drive that would change her life forever.

Fast forward just over a year from her audition and Carrie Underwood became one of the greatest musicians of the time. Her debut album, Some Hearts sold over 300,000 copies within the first week of it's release and produced what are perhaps Underwood's greatest smash hits of all time Before He Cheats and Jesus, Take the Wheel. The album went on to win her a slew of awards including Top New Female Vocalist at the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2006, the awards show which she made history at when she became the first woman in Country Music History to win Entertainer of the Year twice.

In 2007, Carrie then went on to release this album, Carnival Ride which can be found talked about in more detail in the "WHAT?" section of this page.

Underwood's success continues to this day with the releases of her four other studio albums off her label Arista Nashville, Play On (2009), Blown Away (2012), Greatest Hits: Decade Number 1 (2014), and Storyteller (2015). Over the course of all her releases, Underwood has produced 14 number one hits.

Carrie is known as being the Country Crossover Queen of this generation as she combines elements of country music with pop music, which has proved successful as she reached an enormous audience, as well as receiving airtime on both country and pop radio.

WHAT? The Album:

Carnival Ride is Underwood's second release, but her first release that is deemed a concept album. What distinguished this album from her previous release is that she was much more involved in the writing process, as she cowrote four of the albums tracks including: So Small, All-American Girl, Crazy Dreams, and Last Name, three of which reached number one. Mark Bright produced the record, and it was recorded in Nashville from 2006-2007. It was then released on October 23, 2007. Carnival Ride debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart and sold over 527,000 upon its release and to date has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. This album again won her a slew of awards, including two Grammy Awards. Two the tracks on this album Flat on the Floor and I Told You So were both previously recorded by other artists (Katrina Elam and Randy Travis) but still gained Underwood a great deal of success. I Told You So was released as Underwood's fifth and final single and a version in which she duets with Travis was released. A year after the release of Carnival Ride, Underwood was inducted in the Grand Old Opry on May 10, 2008. Also in 2008, Underwood embarked on the Carnival Ride Tour, which spanned throughout the United States and Canada.

WHY? The Concept:

"You step onto this ride called life, and it’s a crazy thing you don’t know anything about, but you get on it anyway. You do what you can to lean different directions to try and get it to go where you want it to go, but you can’t stop it – it just keeps moving. That’s why Carnival Ride works as my album title, because it describes the wonderful craziness that I’ve been through over the past couple years." (Carrie Underwood, 2007)

In other words, the songs on Carnival Ride are not arranged in a way that tell a story as you move through each one. Rather, the concept is more of an overarching theme of the album as a whole. A theme that describes Carrie's life experiences as well as the way her life has changed after winning American Idol causing her to rocket into superstardom. Although she is writing about her life and experiences, it is clear she was very intentional in still putting songs on the album that they could relate their own life and experiences too. However, with that being said it is evident that although this is the concept of the album, it is clear that several songs on the album may not fit the overall concept as much and were put on the album perhaps to be released as a single (i.e. Flat On the Floor, Just a Dream, I Know You Won't, Last Name, I Told You So, and Twisted). This method of creating single driven music ready for radio and putting it on concept album's is a trend that is common in today's music.

The following section of this page is a personal breakdown and analysis of each song. You can click on each song title, which will redirect you a link to listen to the song. The songs in Italic and Bolded mean that they were released as a single. In order the songs released as a single are: So Small, All-American Girl, Last Name, Just a Dream, and I Told You So. Lastly, the album runtime is 50 minutes.

SONG BREAKDOWN:

1) Flat On the Floor

• This is the first song on the album and starts the album and starts it off strong as this song is almost a country meets pop/rock kind of song. It begins with the sounds of the banjo along with elements of guitar and drums giving it this very country/rock feel. The songs has a very fast and upbeat tempo, backed by Underwood's powerful vocals and features a homophonic texture, along with a duple meter. A repeating chorus is present which goes, "I'm flat on the floor with my head down low, where the sky can't rain on me anymore. Don't knock on my door cause I won't come, I'm hiding from the storm till the damage gets done."
• Flat On the Floor is a very sassy breakup song. It appears to be about heartbreak and a girl trying to escape her ex and the feelings she felt when she was with him. She is tired of him trying to knock her down and is hiding from "the storm" that is her ex.

2) All-American Girl

• This song is very playful and cheery in sound. The fiddle, drums, guitar, and piano are present in this song. The song in itself is almost like a mini movie, as it follows the journey of a father and daughter from her birth, to her high school years, to when she herself is getting married. There is also a duple meter and homophonic texture.
• This song is much more easily connected to the concept of the album (Underwood's life and journey) than Flat On the Floor is. Perhaps this is because she actually had a hand in co-writing this song. All-American Girl very much tells a part of the story of Underwood's life, as she is the "All-American Girl" in the song. Underwood is the third of three girls in her family. Her father had always dreamed that he would have a boy since the day he and his wife wed. He especially hoped that before Carrie was born, as she was their third and final child, that she would be a boy. However, the lyrics also tell the story of what her father thinks now. They state "now he's wrapped around her finger, she's the center of his whole world and his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, perfect, All-American Girl." This is talking about how Carrie is the center of her father's whole world and he would not have his life any other way.

3) So Small

• This was Carrie's first single release off of Carnival Ride as well as her first number one as a writer. The song features a very beautiful conjunct melody and lyrics behind it that draws the listener in and almost gives them the sense that Carrie is singing about their life. The guitar, drums, and piano are very prominent on this song as well. This song is in a sense a journey about life and remembering how important the little things in life (i.e. love) are. This song is very easily relatable to the concept of the album as well, as Carrie is singing about remaining grounded and thankful for the life she has.
• In her own words, Carrie describes the song as: "A feeling song on how people invest so much of their time and energy into things that aren't really important. And you don't really realize that until it's too late. We're all guilty of it, as I know I am, of just letting silly things get in the way. The smallest thing can almost ruin my day, and at some point, I realize, 'Good gracious, Carrie! What are you doing?' I have a great life, and we need to remember the things that are truly important" (http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=9268)

4) Just a Dream

• This track again does not relate to the overall concept of the album, as it does not directly apply to the "Carnival Ride" Carrie has been on since winning American Idol. In other words, this is an example of a song that was placed on the album for potential other reasons, perhaps to be released as a single for radio. This song in a sense is almost like a mini concept within itself, as the song creates characters in your mind and you are able to follow the journey of those characters throughout the song.
• Just a Dream has this darker, dreary, and somber feel to it, as Carrie is singing about a woman that was just married, but had to send her husband off to war. Then, the unimaginable happened, and he husband was killed on the line of duty, in what feels like a dream.
• It is a moderate tempo song with elements an acoustic guitar, drums, piano, as well as string instruments, all of which together help to create that very dark feel that the song has. The journey that is previously mentioned is that of an 18 year girl who is going to the church in her wedding dress (lyrics: "It was two weeks after the day she turned 18, all dressed in white, heading to the church that night) However, as the song continues it is revealed that she is actually going to her husbands funeral (lyrics: And when the church doors opened up wide, she put her veil down trying to hide the tears, Oh she just couldn't believe it, she heard the trumpets from the military band and the flowers fell out of her hands) The story becomes more clear as the chorus kicks in, which is repeated throughout the song. The chorus's lyrics are:

Baby, why'd you leave me, why'd you have to go

I was counting on forever, now I'll never know

I can't even breathe

It's like I'm looking from a distance,

Standing in the background

Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,

This can't be happening to me

This is just a dream

5) Get Out Of This Town

• This song very clearly relates to Carrie's "Carnival Ride" life as well. This song follows the story of a young couple from a small town (like Carrie herself) who have big dreams (to win American Idol?!) and aspirations to get out the small town where they come from and follow their aspirations of a bigger city lifestyle. The opening lyrics read:

Got it all figured out inside of my head

There's a bag packed up at the foot of my bed

You say the word, baby I'm all set

Cover our tracks, tell a couple white lies

Make sure we got a good alibi and by the time they catch on,

we'll be outa their sight

Long gone baby

• With these opening lyrics it is very clear how the characters in the story (one who represents Carrie) is so eager to get out of their small town lifestyle. It is clear they have been thinking about it for a very long time now, as they have a plan all figured out and a bag packed up ready to go. It does sound like it is not necessarily the easiest task to accomplish getting out of their small town. Perhaps, some people in their life may be against them leaving, which is why they have to "tell a couple white lies" and "make sure they got a good alibi" but at the end of the day they know they want to get out of their town and they are going to do so.
• The guitar, drums, and string instruments are very prominent on this track as well. The song starts off rather soft dynamically almost to represent the couple contemplating their decision to leave their town, but when they finally decide to take the leap and leave their town, the chorus begins and dynamically the song gets much louder, almost to represent the couple's excitement and decision to leave.

6) Crazy Dreams

• This song is essentially Carrie singing to the younger population of people out in the world that are sitting in their bedrooms dreaming about becoming something like a singer, but never think that it can ever be achieved. In the opening lines she sings directly to those people:

Hello, you long shots, you dark-horse runners

Hairbrush singers, dashboard drummers

Hello, you wild magnolias just waiting to bloom

There's a little bit of all that inside of me and you

Thank God even crazy dreams come true

• However, Carrie sings that she knows how that feels and that it is possible for that "Crazy Dream" you may have to become a famous singer very well could come true because it did for her. She sings about how it is not always the easiest of journeys to achieve your greatest aspirations:

I've stood at the bottom of some walls

I thought I couldn't climb

I felt like Cinderella at the ball

Just running out of time

So I know how it feels to be afraid

And think that it's all gone and slip away

Hold on

Hold on

• Crazy Dreams features a very upbeat tempo that along with the lyrics and loud dynamics, gives this song a great sense of hope and happiness. What is really clever I believe is the use of metaphors throughout the song (i.e. wild magnolias waiting to bloom, Cinderella at the ball running out of time) as they really make those feelings that Carrie is singing about (hopefulness and fear) much more relatable to the audience.

7) I Know You Won't

• This song is that powerful ballad that features elements of softness and loudness in vocals and in instrumentation that appears in some fashion on all of Carrie's albums. The range in Carrie's vocals is also very clearly evident. I Know You Won't again is not as closely related to the overall theme of Carrie's life as well as her journey of launching into superstardom. However, it is evident she could be singing about a past love that is for a lack of a better term "blowing her off" all of a sudden and she is getting sick of it. To me it sounds like the relationship could be failing or falling apart, which she makes clear with this use of metaphors when she sings, "this candle burning out" in reference to the relationship. I feel like this song is about being very much stuck in the middle of a cross roads as she is sick and tired of feeling like a "back up plan" but at the same time wants to hold on to the relationship because sometimes this man makes her feel good and happy. She sings, "cause when you want to you can me make feel like we belong" and "I say I'm done and then you smile at me and I forget everything I said."
• Elements of the violin, drums, piano, and acoustic guitar are very heavily present as well as a repeating chorus, that really sells the message of the song, that as much as she loves him, but is done with the empty promises:

You say you'll call, but I know you

You say you're coming home, but I know you

You say you'll call, but I know you won't

You say you'll call, but I know you wont

8) Last Name

• Again, this song does not relate to the overall theme of Carnival Ride as closely, as it is very clear this song in particular was written as a single for the radio. However, this song is very interesting because although it is on Carrie's second album, it was written as the prequel to the song Before He Cheats, which is on her first album. The music video (which can be found by clicking the title) very clearly represents this as in the beginning it says "3 months earlier (Before He Cheated)" and actually even uses the same actor that was featured in the Before He Cheats music video. The song overall is very playful in instrumentation, dynamics, upbeat tempo and lyrics. Guitar riffs, very heavy instances of drums and electric/acoustic guitar are present, giving the song this sort of country/pop-rock feel to it.
• The song is essentially about a girl in Las Vegas who is drunk at a bar, meets a man, and in her intoxicated state ends up marrying him. However, she forgets it even happens and woke up the next morning not knowing how the ring on he left hand just appeared and what her "Last Name" is. She worries her mother will be so ashamed and the lyrics "what have I done" repeat many times throughout the song, which gives off an element of regret, but the tempo and sound of the song are more upbeat, which necessarily does not match up with this regret that Carrie is singing about. However, I believe this is because she just wants people to almost relate to people in the sense that we have all messed up and done stupid things, but you just have to laugh it off and get through whatever is was!

9) You Won't Find This

• This slower to mid tempo song is a sad yet beautiful ode to the man the Carrie loved deeply, but the feelings were not reciprocated. The dynamics of the song are rather soft, but there are points in the song (mostly toward the ending) where the song gets louder. The piano, drums, and string instruments are all very clearly present on this track.
• It sounds like Carrie is singing about this man who she was wither with at one point and they broke up or someone she never was with, but always wished to be. I see it as more of a breakup type song that is almost like a letter she is writing to this guy that broke things off, found a new love, and she has not heard of or seen in a long time. She essentially is singing about how he is going to regret breaking things off because he won't ever find something as good as what they had together. Some of the lyrics that portray this message are:

You can hold any girl that you like

Fall in love when it's easy at night

But when you wake up wondering why

She ain't ever something better

• The part of the song I found most interesting is when she sings:

There's once in a lifetime

And there's once in a while

And the difference between the two

Is about a million miles

• I think this one phrase sums up the song very well. She is singing about how there is a "once in a lifetime" which is finding the one person you will be with forever (which she believes they were) and a "once in a while" which someone you like, but don't see yourself with that person forever (which she believes is this new love he has found).

10) I Told You So

• This song again does not relate to the overall concept, but is a cover of the very famous original version that was released by Randy Travis on his 1988 album "Always and Forever"(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Told_You_So_(Randy_Travis_song)#Carrie_Underwood_version). This song has that very classic country feel to it as the acoustic guitar and other string instruments are very present and it has the track has this twangy mid-tempo sound to it, which I think can be heard in both the instrumentation as well as the vocals.
• In this song, the singer is asking how the person they love would react if they called him/her up and said still loved them and they wanted to come back home. The singer wants to know if their lover would tell them that they love them or if they would simply just laugh at them. Some of the lyrics read:

If I told you that I realized you're all I ever wanted

And it's killin' me to be so far away.

Would you tell me that you loved me too and would we cry together?

Or would you simply laugh at me and say

(Chorus) "I told you so, oh I told you so

I told you some day you'd come crawling back and asking me to take you in

I told you so, but you had to go

Now I found somebody new and you will never break my heart in two again".

• I think it is in these lines, both leading up to the chorus and the chorus where the listener can sense this feeling of apology, sort of uncertainty, and wanting that the singer is feeling.
• Lastly, Carrie actually released a version of the song in which she sang the song in duet form along with Randy Travis. A performance of the pair singing the song can be found here.

11) The More Boys I Meet

• This song is very playful as well and features a very upbeat, moderate/fast, and fun tempo and rhythm. The violin, drums, and guitar are very clearly present. It features a duple meter and homophonic texture.
• This song uses Carrie's dogs (Penny and Ace) as a representation of what she wishes the guys she was dating could be like. She wishes the men could be "warm and loyal, open and friendly" just like her dogs are. She is tired of boys thinking that they are too cool, that have big egos, and have to show off to impress her because ultimately it doesn't really work for her when they have that attitude and act in that way. She talks about how she is hopeful she'll find the right guy when it comes to the chorus saying:

I close my eyes and I kiss that frog

Each time finding

The more boys I meet, The more I love my dog

• Again there is the metaphorical language talking about kissing a frog hoping that she'll find the right guy (even though every time she never finds them) which really adds to the overall funny and playful nature of the song.

12) Twisted

• This song features a moderate to upbeat tempo as well as the drums and guitar (same riff present throughout the song) that are very prominent throughout this song. A duple meter and homophonic texture are present as well.
• In this song Carrie is singing about how she is so incredibly in love with someone and saying how twisted it is that she could be that in love. She talks about how she was guarded before she met this person and had some walls up, but says that he was the "wrecking ball" that crashed into her and brought the walls, allowing for her to fall for him. Everyone tells her that "she's in over head" and that this love is wrong and she is crazy, but she says they don't know because they can't feel the kind of love that they have. She also says it's too late to save her now because she has completely fallen. She knows it's crazy how in love she is, but the more she thinks about it she doesn't care! The chorus of the song explains the message very clearly:

It's twisted

Messed up

And the more I think about it

It's crazy but so what

I may never understand it

I'm caught up and I'm hanging on

I'm gonna love you even if its wrong

13) Wheel of the World

• This is a beautiful slower tempo song with a melody that draws the listener in with the choice of instrumentation (violins, piano, acoustic guitar, and drums) along with Carrie's vocals. There is a lot of repetition as the title "Wheel of the World" is repeated many times throughout the song. This song starts off rather soft and quiet dynamically, but has a moment of loudness toward the end (which I think really makes the listener feel empowered and that if they are going through a hard time, it will be okay because life keeps on moving) in the bridge of the song when Carrie sings:

I don't know what it is, I'm flying high, but I'm wondering why I'm sinking on this ship going down.

Life keeps on moving anyway.

• This is the song off the album, that encompasses everything that the concept of the album is about. Simply put, this song is about life. You never really know what life is going to throw your way. It could be good things thrown your way, but it also could be bad things, you just have to learn how to deal with whatever it is. This is the only place in the album where the title Carnival Ride appears. It is found in the following sequence of lyrics:

God put us here on this carnival ride.

We close our eyes, never knowing where it'll take us next.

Babies are born, and at the same time, someone's taking their last breath.

• You can finally see just what Carrie means by Carnival Ride from these lyrics. Life is a cycle, just as these lyrics reference. Babies are born and at the same time someone is out there that is passing away. The wheel of the world of life just keeps moving and there's nothing you can do to slow it down, so living life to it's fullest is so very important.
• To come full circle again, here is the concept of the album in Carrie's own words:

"You step onto this ride called life, and it’s a crazy thing you don’t know anything about, but you get on it anyway. You do what you can to lean different directions to try and get it to go where you want it to go, but you can’t stop it – it just keeps moving. That’s why Carnival Ride works as my album title, because it describes the wonderful craziness that I’ve been through over the past couple years." (Carrie Underwood, 2007)

• After reading this concept and listening to this track in particular, the songs and the theme really all come together, which is a fantastic way to put an end to the album!