There’s this strange phenomenon in the music world called “politics”! (Surprise, surprise.)
But Chely Wright‘s newest single, “Bumper of My SUV” is void of all politics.
I find this to be true for a number of reasons. Allow me to explain…
Words From The Heart
First, the song “Bumper of My SUV” starts out simply as a statement from the heart — put to music.
–> Watch the full-length video here
According to Chely, when she wrote this song, she had no agendas. No ulterior motives. The words just came to her in the exact way that the song describes… all stemming from an incident where she was driving her SUV through a well-to-do neighborhood in Nashville where she was “flipped off” by a woman driving a minivan.
There’s something about the “purity” of that that you’ve just gotta love.
Climbing The Charts
Second, the song “Bumper of My SUV” has skyrocketed up the music charts in the past 3 weeks without ANY record-label promotion, without ANY major endorsements of any kind, and without ANY paybacks to the radio stations that have chosen to air it.
The point is this: The song is as popular as it is, NOT because it’s a great Country song, or a great Pop song, or even a song that’s well sung…
It’s as popular as it is because it speaks the truth. And it’s very “raw”. From the words to the melody… it IS what it is.
And there’s something very powerful about that. (It’s VERY different from the way you typically get a song to just be PLAYED on the radio, much less to become a mega-hit such as this!)
It Just Took On A Life Of Its Own
The story about how this song came to be is quite interesting, because it took on a life of its own…
A week or so ago, I heard Chely Wright on a radio interview (103.3 WKDF in Nashville) where she explained that:
- …she has no record label backing her at the moment. In fact, she was rounding out a year-and-a-half long hiatus from music when this song actually broke the charts.
- …she has no one out there promoting this single and doing everything in their power to get “air time” (part of the politicking involved with the music industry when you just release a new song).
- …she didn’t even intend to CUT this song… it was just a simple tune that she’d jotted down “off the cuff” one day.
- …she sang it for the troops during her tour through Kuwait and Iraq, and it wasn’t until she started receiving so many requests from THEM to actually cut the song (so they could listen to it while they were stationed in the Middle East) that she realized how meaningful its words were to those American men and women.
- …she has just recently begun performing it “live” for various audiences, out of request. Which is how it’s continuing to climb up the music charts at this point.
The song, “Bumper of My SUV” must touch a lot of people for it to be getting the airplay that it is, and the amount of personal requests that it’s getting.
Go, Chely, Go!
Truth be told, I’ve never been one to talk up Chely Wright OR her music… And I don’t particularly think that she sings this song very well at all.
But that’s EXACTLY what makes this song different than most any other you’ll hear on the radio today. I can appreciate this song for its honesty. The honesty in how it came to be. And, the honest feelings expressed within it — that we all as Americans share, live, breathe …and maybe even die for.
Does It Do The Same For You?
For me, this song represents the average American who’s just trying to keep on keepin’ on.
It reminds me of the fact that we’re ALL getting through life every day by just doing whatever it is we’ve gotta do to get us to the next day. Most of us are living our own kind of low-key life. Never intending to hurt anyone’s feelings. Rarely trying to push the envelope or make a scene. Just getting through life the best that we know how.
Then, when something such as the song implies actually happens in our world, it just makes you think — about what’s really important in life.
I mostly appreciate this song for its genuineness. And for making me think about (and appreciate) the little things in life — all those small details that often get overshadowed by the bigger moments.
I like to help people find unique ways to do things in order to save time & money — so I write about “outside the box” ideas that most wouldn’t think of. As a lifelong dog owner, I often share my best tips for living with and training dogs. I worked in Higher Ed over 10 years before switching gears to pursue activities that I’m truly passionate about. I’ve worked at a vet, in a photo lab, and at a zoo — to name a few. I enjoy the outdoors via bicycle, motorcycle, Jeep, or RV. You can always find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
