ADVERTISEMENT

Exclusive Performances

Watch live, in-studio performances.

Blogroll

Carrie Underwood Defends 'Jesus'

Carrie Underwood scored a smash No. 1 hit -- and also raised a few eyebrows -- when she recorded 'Before He Cheats,' a song about taking revenge on an unfaithful boyfriend by vandalizing his vehicle. Ironically, Carrie also recalls raising a few eyebrows when she released her first single, 'Jesus Take the Wheel,' a song about a woman asking Jesus to take control of her life.

"People started saying, 'Oh, it's kind of risky. You're coming out with a religious song," Carrie tells Esquire magazine. "I was thinking, 'Really?' I grew up in Oklahoma. I always had a close relationship with God. I never thought it was risky in the least! If anything, I thought it was the safest thing I could do!"

When she was preparing to record her debut album, Carrie also remembers feeling safer choosing songs from a fan's perspective, and not from a new artist's.

"I know what I like to listen to on the radio," she says. "I know what I like to sing along to in the car. So anytime I heard a song for the first album, I'd put it in the context of, 'OK, would I turn the channel? Would I listen to the whole song, or would I skip to the next one? It was really important to me, because all I knew was how to be a consumer. I didn't know how to be an artist."

There's still one thing Carrie confesses she can't seem to do as an artist: let herself cry when singing an emotional song.

"I've seen people that get onstage and sing while they have tears running down their face," she says. "I can't do that. When I cry, it starts in my throat, so when I have something that's really emotional, sometimes if I access that too much, I can't finish the song!"

Carrie recently announced the dates for her 2010 'Play On' tour.

Add a Comment

*0 / 3000 Character Maximum

127 Comments

Filter by:
aUNDREA

This is just a mockery. To say you have a personal relationship with God then go and sing songs about whiskey and cheating really shows that she's not as close as she thinks. And if it's really that important, why even sing country? for the $? why not sing all gospel?

December 19 2009 at 12:04 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rene kelley

Finally, an American that sticks to her rights. I am so tired of hearing Happy Holidays, (It's Merry Christmas) that I can scream. Some stores say that they are not allowed to say Merry Christmas. I beleive in being kind to the person who was not born here. However, don't come here and change our ways. Shame on the companies who don't stand up for Jesus Christ. I respect the Black American, because they don't care what anyone thinks ,if they want to say Christ name and give thanks ,they do it ,unlike the whites who let prayer be taken out of school and the 10 comandments taken down, and so on. I am ashamed of you, what a cowards way . This Country ,The United States Of America was founded on Christianity . Remember that????????????????????????

December 16 2009 at 7:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ken

fmrichbourg
at 12-15-2009

It's "figurative"!! That sure makes it real to me now!

OK, let's rewrite this part and take this part out on the next revision, then all those "free thinkers" will be fooled.

December 16 2009 at 11:59 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
buckeye1022

All of these comments are exactly why I normally stay out of religious discussions, because they're pointless. One side has their beliefs that won't be changed, the other side has completely different beliefs that won't be changed. The arging is stupid and accomplishes nothing.

I'm a Christian, and I read the Bible. But there is no way that I can come close to believing a lot of what it says. Are we supposed to believe that the Earth was created 6000 years ago? Or that it took 7 days and then everything was at it is now? Or that the human race started with 2 people? Doesn't that make us all related? I've leaned on God for guidance through these questions, and what I think he's given me is the ability to think for myself about the answers. The answers I found is that religion and science are very much compatible and when working together can answer quite a few of the so called unanswerable questions in life.

As for the song, keep doing what you're doing Carrie! You're a great singer, a beautiful woman, and from everything I know a wonderful person. Stick to your guns and don't let anyone tell you what to believe. That goes for everyone else too.

December 15 2009 at 5:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to buckeye1022's comment
fmrichbourg

Buckeye, perhaps I can help out a little here. Thinking among many theologians today says that the first 12 or so chapters of the book of Genesis were never meant to be seen as literal, but rather figurative. Figurative language was far more common during biblical times than now.

The earth does not have to have been created 6,000 literal years ago, nor does it have to have been created in 7 literal days. Adam and Eve are clearly symbolic as is the talking snake and the magic apple. We can understand what the Bible means by what it says much better when we seek to see the underlying reality to which the figurative words point. And I will leave that for you to enjoy working on.

December 15 2009 at 10:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Pchlavendar

blondemonica2009
at 12-14-2009
That is amazing! You really see NO PROOF???

Wow - you get up every morning and still breathe the beautiful air in a world so beautiful and u see no proof?

I feel so sorry for you.
>>>>>>>>>>>
We all see these things, we just don't believe a mythical imaginary sky creature is responsible. I feel sorry for you. You apparently do. You might want to ask yourself why you can't deal with realty.

December 14 2009 at 10:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ray

I don't think it is risky at all. Carrie is a very talented artist & is easy on the eyes too. She should not be condemned because of her beliefs & it is certainly her right to add whatever she wants on her albums. I admire a person of her character.

December 14 2009 at 9:17 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jay

Those without truth or knowledge on their side can only make personal attacks. The truth is the concept of Jesus is not an original idea. It's not my job to teach you fools how to do a google search. Think for yourself. Read a the origins of the garden of Eden. Did you know Adam was created from Eve's rib? Not the other way around. Alot of truth to be found. My friend spirituality has nothing to do with religion. Find your spirtuality , discover the lies your religions have been telling you. To put so much belief and faith into something and never question what your told? The bible? Find out about the bible that was being peddled before this current version. So many wonders to be discovered and yet so little thinking is being done. Please do not reply. What you have to say to me is pointless. Discover truth , don't believ me , find out for yourself

December 14 2009 at 8:40 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
timwatts99

vakoosh wrote:
Nice job Carrier, In a era where no religion in out Whitehouse.. Glad to see some influential people make a stand for the truth, the truth that founded this country --------- Actually The Founding Fathers were primarily influenced by the values of The Enlightenment which were largely secular.

December 14 2009 at 8:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
timwatts99

dm28fla wrote:
You know why this country is in the crapper? Because people forgot God. This country was at its best before hippie liberalism of the 60s with free sex and free drugs began to take over our country's mindshare ---------- As I remember drug were pretty expensive, even in the 60's. I WISH they'd been free!

December 14 2009 at 8:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
dm28fla

You know why this country is in the crapper? Because people forgot God. This country was at its best before hippie liberalism of the 60s with free sex and free drugs began to take over our country's mindshare and eventually it came to the point that people can't even walk the streets or sleep at night without locking their doors because as atheism spread, so did selfishness and the lack of fear of punishment for one's actions. As our founding fathers said "One nation under God".

December 14 2009 at 8:19 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply

Your Settings

{email}

Subscriptions

Weekly Newsletter

The Boot news in your mailbox. Top Articles, reviews, photos & more.

Realtime alerts

Daily alerts


Update
Cancel