So midterms are almost over. Spring Break is next week. I’m making it through this semester (barely). I’m just incredibly tired and don’t want to do anything but watch tv and sleep (holla). In this honor, “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood is #PhillipsSongOfTheDay because it embodies the feelings all college kids have towards studying and college this point in the year.
“Before He Cheats” was released from Underwood’s debut album, Some Hearts, following her win of American Idol, and has subsequently won her a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance (it also won Best Country Song and was nominated for Song of the Year, but Underwood did not receive those honors as she was not one of the writers). I personally believe this song is the reason Carrie Underwood is Carrie Underwood; it catapulted her into one of the most successful country acts today. I remember it “spilling over” (borrowing T. Swift’s term) into pop radio, and it being one of the most played songs of the summer. This is probably because it showcases Underwood’s amazingly aggressive vocals (she does an incredible job with her scream/growling/grunting words like “right now”), but also because the lyrics are unbelievable catchy.
In particular, I find the second verse just clever from a songwriting perspective:
“Right now, she’s probably up singing some
white-trash version of Shania karaoke.
Right now, she’s probably saying, ‘I’m drunk’
and he’s a-thinking that he’s gonna get lucky,
Right now, he’s probably dabbing on
$3 worth of that bathroom Polo”
Just the phrase “$3 worth of that bathroom Polo” is such an incredible descriptor/visual. We just get an image of the jerk this guy is, him primping himself for his date with the other woman (and overindulging in wearing too much cologne).
Listen/watch the music video for “Before He Cheats” (don’t you just want to beat up a car with Carrie Underwood?):
No, but the real reason “Before He Cheats” is today’s #PhillipsSongOfTheDay is the fact that I’ve just been listening to it on repeat for the past hour and it just encompasses how I feel. Have I been cheated on? No. And I’m not really pissed off at the world. Again, I’m just coming to the end of midterms and it is almost Spring Break…so I’m done with school. I just want to sleep…
