“Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood

          I am a huge fan of country music. I have listened to country music since I was little and I still love it today, but not today’s country music. I find that most of today’s country music can be divided into two categories: Parody or Pop. That is why I love having SiriusXM so that I can listen to 80’s and 90’s country music and avoid today’s music. However, despite trying to avoid the music I have listened to and even enjoyed some of the music. I think Carrie Underwood has a phenomenal voice and some of her songs are catchy if not good.

            One such song is “Before He Cheats” which came out so long ago it’s probably not even considered modern anymore. But this song was one I used to sing along with on the radio and I heard it so many times that I started to think too much about the words and I started to realize the character singing the song didn’t see the guy in the bar with the girl. Everything she is singing is hypothetical. She says he’s probably doing this and the other girl is probably doing that, but she doesn’t say that she seems him. She doesn’t go inside the bar and confront him. No she vandalizes his car even carving her name into his seats. For one, that was a bad move on her part because she is going to be the first one the police question. If the guy loves his truck so much that he has it all “souped up” does she not think he would call the police? She believes he is cheating on her does she really think he would let this go?

            But that is not even my major problem with the song. Every time I hear the song an alternative story plays in my head. In my story the guy let his brother or friend use his truck and so while the truck was parked outside the bar he was at home planning the perfect proposal. He had the ring in his hand, listening to their song, and talking to her mom about the best way to propose. And while he is doing this she is vandalizing his truck. She is carving her name into his seats while he is looking at wedding bands with which to carve their names.

            The marriage obviously does not happen because he realizes she is a crazy woman who would rather shoot first and ask questions later. He decides she is not the woman with whom he desires to have children. He thought he saw his future in her eyes, but he realized in was only his reflection.

            Yes, the music video shows that the guy was cheating on her, but the song lyrics themselves do not. Every time I hear the song I just want her to go into the bar and confront him.