Carrie Underwood has never been shy about infusing her religion into her music. Her most popular example of that affinity is “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” Her request for divine intervention soared to No. 1 in 2006. Revisit the chart-topper and its meaning below.
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Behind the Meaning
She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati on a snow-white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her mama and her daddy with the baby in the backseat
50 miles to go, and she was running low on faith and gasoline
It’d been a long, hard year
“Jesus, Take the Wheel” is the brainchild of Brett James, Hillary Lindsey, and Gordie Sampson. The three songwriters created something truly timeless with this track about finding a miracle when you need it most.
The song opens up with Underwood introducing a mother on a long drive home with her baby in the back seat. The drive takes place in the dead of winter, meaning the roads are a little less than ideal. She hits a bad patch of ice and begins to spin out.
She had a lot on her mind, and she didn’t pay attention
She was going way too fast
Before she knew it, she was spinning on a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn’t even have time to cry
She was so scared
She threw her hands up in the air
It’s then that she asks for help from a higher power. By some miracle, she makes it over to the shoulder and immediately gives the credit to that omnipresent force. For the first time in a long time / She bowed her head to pray, Underwood sings.
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We all need a little outside help now and again. According to James, the way the song connected with audiences was remarkable upon its release.
“I tell you what’s crazy is how many people have that story of driving in a car and almost crashing, or feeling like they were pulled out by an angel,” James once said. “I’ve heard that story multiple times, like, ‘I had that happen to me.'”
(Photo by Mike Coppola/WireImage)
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