Carrie Underwood has a long history of not holding back in her music. Underwood released “Before He Cheats” in 2006, one of her biggest singles to date, on her freshman album Some Hearts. Since then, the mother of two has made a name for herself by releasing storytelling songs with a surprising twist.
We picked four of Carrie Underwood’s most savage songs, released in the last 10 years.
“Dirty Laundry”
“Dirty Laundry” isn’t about too many clothes in the hamper. Underwood includes “Dirty Laundry“, written by Ashley Gorley, Zach Crowell, and Hillary Lindsey, on her 2015 Storyteller album.
The song, about a woman who has had enough of her husband’s cheating ways, says, “Yeah, I’m a have to hang you out to dry, dry, dry / Clothespin all your secrets to the line, line, line / Leave ’em blowing in the wind, just say goodbye to you / All those midnights sneaking in ‘I’m late again, oh, I’m so sorry’ / All the Ajax in the world ain’t gonna clean your dirty laundry.“
Even before she heard the song, Underwood was immediately drawn to the title.
“I feel like I do laundry every day,” Underwood tells The Boot. “I’m not sure where it all comes from. … I’m still a mom, first and foremost.”
“Ghost Story”
Underwood doesn’t have any time for regrets in “Ghost Story”. The song, out in 2022 on her Denim & Rhinestones album, makes it clear in the song that the guy who dumped her will for sure regret his decision – not that she cares.
Lindsey penned the song with Josh Kear and David Garcia. The song says, “You’ll be sitting at home drinking about me / When I’m out with my friends at the bar / But there ain’t enough whiskey for you not to miss me / I’ll be waiting at the bottom of the bottle in the dark / I’m gonna be your ghost story / That keeping you up, all night memory / I’ll be haunting you, you’ll be wanting me / I’m gonna be your ghost story.”
Happily married to Mike Fisher since 2010, Underwood still liked the message and sound of “Ghost Story” enough to include it on her record.
“I feel like everything that I’ve done, even at the most out of character, is still a small part of me,” Underwood says (via Taste of Country). “And it’s fun to be able to kind of tap into that. And to some extent, I guess you do kind of have to be a bit of an actress to like go there, but that’s what’s so fun about it.”
“Church Bells”
Carrie Underwood also includes “Church Bells” on her Storyteller album, this one written by Crowell and Lindsey, along with Brett James.
The song is a vengeful song about a woman who takes matters into her own hands after having had enough of her husband’s abusive ways.
“Jenny slipped somethin’ in his Tennessee whiskey / No law man was ever gonna find,” Underwood sings. “And how he died is still a mystery / But he hit a woman for the very last time / She could hear those church bells ringin’, ringin’ / Standin’ there in a black dress singin’, singin’ / Fold your hands and close your eyes / Yeah, it’s all gonna be alright / And just listen to the church bells ringin’, ringin’ / Yeah, they’re ringin‘.”
“I was drawn to it because I love story songs, obviously. But I also love [songs that] empower women,” Underwood says (via The Boot). “I wouldn’t ever want any woman to feel like she’d have to go and shoot her husband — that should go without saying, but I’ll go ahead and say it. … In a lot of songs, or a lot of movies or stories or whatever, people have to be pushed to their limits to act and to find that inner strength. I love a good strong-woman song.”
“Ghosts On The Stereo”
Carrie Underwood clearly has little time for regrets, as is clear in “Ghosts On The Stereo.” Written by Lindey, Tom Douglas, and Andrew Dorff, the song is on Underwood’s 2017 Cry Pretty album.
In “Ghost Story,” Underwood says she would rather be alone, listening to music, than with her ex. She sings, “There ain’t no lights on, the curtains drawn / Just one car in the drive / And the neighbors might think it’s a haunted house. But I’ve never felt so alive / ‘Cause what they don’t know is I’m throwin’ a party / And everybody tonight is feelin’ alright, with some Jack in their coke / The records are spinnin’ and the speakers are smokin’ / There ain’t no last call, I’m havin’ a ball with Hank, Haggard and Jones / No, I ain’t alone, I feel right at home with my ghosts on the stereo.”
“The person’s at home, ‘not needing nobody,’” Underwood tells American Songwriter. “Getting drunk by herself, kind of listening and lost in this moment, the music. But it’s very specific to this person’s kind of breakdown.”
