Even moderate country music fans can list off some of Carrie Underwood’s big hits, like “Before He Cheats”, “Church Bells”, “Something In The Water”, and more. But after winning Season 4 of American Idol in 2005, Underwood quickly got to work, releasing plenty of great songs, including these four. Out in the beginning of Underwood’s career, most people had already forgotten these songs, which still sound amazing today.
“Some Hearts”
Immediately after “Jesus, Take The Wheel”, Underwood released “Some Hearts”. Although it did not become a big country hit, “Some Hearts” did become a Top 15 pop hit.
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“Some Hearts” is a lighthearted, feel-good song, which is the title track of Underwood’s freshman album. Diane Warren is the writer of “Some Hearts”. The song was reportedly written for Belinda Carlisle’s solo album, although she opted not to record it.
“Wasted”
“Wasted” is the final single from Some Hearts. A No. 1 single, “Wasted” is written by Hillary Lindsey, Marv Green, and Troy Verges. “Wasted” became a three-week No. 1 hit for Underwood.
A song about two different people battling two different kinds of addictions, the three writers intentionally left a lot open to interpretation.
“As a writer, it’s fun to see how people will interpret a song, but it’s always interesting,” Green tells The Boot. “When I saw the video, it was so beautiful, really cool—all black and white. [It] looked like they filmed it in Florida, on the beach. And in the video, these two lives were definitely connected.”
A favorite of Underwood, she performed the song during her Las Vegas residency.
“Last Name”
Also on Carnival Ride is “Last Name”. Written by Lindsey, Luke Laird, and Underwood, “Last Name” shows off Underwood’s humorous side.
The song is about a woman who imbibes too much and ends up getting married in a drunken stupor. The groom is a man whose last name she doesn’t even know. It might be funny, but the song did give Underwood a Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
“Temporary Home”
Much like with “Jesus, Take The Wheel”, Underwood leans into her faith with “Temporary Home”. On Play On, Underwood’s third studio album, “Temporary Home” is written by Underwood, Laird, and Zac Maloy.
“Temporary Home” begins with a six-year-old boy moving around in foster care. The story continues with a young mother and concludes with an old man in a hospital bed, saying earth is his temporary home compared to Heaven.
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