As the holidays begin, many of us transplants have made plans to head back home. Though you may not have appreciated it while you were there, there is something alluring about the comforts of the place you grew up. Whether you’re still living in your hometown or it’s nothing but a distant memory, there is only one song to help foster your sense of nostalgia: Carrie Underwood’s “Thank God for Hometowns.” Uncover the meaning behind this song, below.
Videos by American Songwriter
Behind the Meaning of Carrie Underwood’s “Thank God for Hometowns”
Yesterday I got a call
Someone I didn’t know at all passed away
Mama said yeah you know him
You went to school with both his kids
They lived out on Prescott lane
She said you should’ve seen the line
Mrs. Johnson said to tell you hi
Underwood perfectly sums up the appeal of your hometown in this song. She sings of familiar faces and old friends–two things you’ll certainly find when romping around the place you grew up.
In the opening lines, Underwood is drawn back home after the death of someone she knew. You went to school with both his kids / They lived out on Prescott lane, she’s told, quickly orienting her as to who she has lost. Those kinds of details are only earned after growing up in one place for an extended period of time. It will certainly bring about some sense of nostalgia for those that can relate.
Thank God for hometowns
And all the love that makes you go round
Thank God for the country lines that welcome you back in
When you were dying to get out
“I saw the title, ‘Thank God For Hometowns’ and I thought [here is] another ‘I love my truck. I love my hometown. I love my mama,’ another one of those,” Underwood once said. “There are so many great ones about small towns, but there’s just a lot out there. I was thinking, ‘That’s just going to be another static song’ and then I listened to it and just the way it starts, talking to your mom, I was like ‘these are all things my mom would say.’”
Underwood is right in saying that there is something singular about her take on the draw of small town living. Though many country stars have ruminated on that idea, Underwood’s version of that tale has a sense of realism and specificity that is rarely found in the others.
Revisit this track, below.
Thank God for Church pews
And all the faces that won’t forget you
Cause when you’re lost in this crazy world
You got somewhere to go and get found
Thank God for hometowns
(Photo by John Palmer/MediaPunch/Shutterstock)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.