Some country songs are not only just sad songs, but have lyrics that pack a powerful punch. These three country songs all came out in 2012, and all have devastating lyrics.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Over You” by Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert wrote “Over You” with her former husband, Blake Shelton. The song is inspired by the loss of Shelton’s brother, Richie, who was killed in a car accident in 1990. Although Shelton is a writer on the song, the two decided Lambert should record it, largely because Shelton thought he might be too emotional to sing the song.
The song says, “It really sinks in, you know, when I see it in stone / ‘Cause you went away / How dare you? / I’ll miss you / They say I’ll be okay / But I’m not going to ever get over you.”
“When Blake said [the line ‘How dare you?’], we both just started crying,” Lambert shares (via Taste of Country). “This line changed my whole perspective of the song. I never lost anybody that close to me, so I didn’t realize the anger. You hear about the hurt and the sadness, but you’re mad, too.”
“Blown Away” by Carrie Underwood
Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear wrote “Blown Away” with Carrie Underwood in mind. The song is the title track of Underwood’s fourth studio album.
“Blown Away” is about a girl who finds the ultimate redemption when her father perishes in a tornado. The song says, “She heard those sirens screaming out / Her daddy laid there passed out on the couch / She locked herself in the cellar / Listened to the screaming of the wind / Some people called it taking shelter / She called it sweet revenge.”
“There is a lot of drama in the song. It’s a dark song without going too far in that direction,” Underwood tells The Boot. “When I first heard the song, I knew I had to sing it. When I heard it, I couldn’t imagine anyone else singing it.”
“I Drive Your Truck” by Lee Brice
What makes “I Drive Your Truck” an especially sad song is that it’s based on a true story. On Lee Brice’s sophomore Hard 2 Love record, the song is written by Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, and Jimmy Yeary.
Harrington heard a father on the radio, talking about his son, who had perished while serving his country in Afghanistan.
“They were asking him questions about that, and asking him how he coped with the loss of his son,” Harrington tells The Tennessean. “And he said that he drove his truck, and began to describe it. … I wrote down post-it notes in the car, weeping, just hearing the details of his truck. I got with Jessi the next week and started the song.”
“I Drive Your Truck” says, “Mama asked me this mornin’ if I’d been by your grave / But that flag and stone ain’t where I feel you anyway / I drive your truck / I roll every window down / And I burn up / Every back road in this town / I find a field, I tear it up / ‘Til all the pain’s a cloud of dust / Yeah, sometimes / I drive your truck.”
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.