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Carrie Underwood’s ‘Blown Away’: Story Behind the Hit Song

Writers of Carrie Underwood’s song, “Blown Away,” reveal the secret story behind the grammy award winning song.

Many consider “Blown Away” a dramatic story-song. And it is. However, the song has also become an anthem for people who have liberated themselves from toxic environments. During the song, Underwood sings, “There’s not enough rain in Oklahoma to wash the sins out of that house…Shatter every window till it’s all blown away…Till there’s nothing left standing
Nothing left of yesterday.” The song is about a woman who finds shelter during a violent storm while leaving her abusive, inebriated father passed out on the couch upstairs – knowing that the storm will most likely kill him.

“Blown Away” won two Grammy Awards for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song. Additionally, the song spent 39 weeks on the chart and peaked at the number two spot. But what is the story behind the song that challenges listeners to go to a darker side of the human experience? The song’s writers, Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear talk about how “Blown Away” came to be.

Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away.”

Writers Knew This Was ‘A Carrie Underwood Song’

“When Josh and I write,” says Tompkins, “we’re always trying to get to the bottom of [things]–we want to know why the character is telling us this, how she feels.” He says that, for the song, “we wanted to dig up as much drama as we could.”

The writing duo said that they started without lyrics. “We were searching for a highly dramatic story song,” says Kear. “We started with strings and a four-on-the-floor kick drum, still with no idea what the song would be about,” he says.

Once they started piecing together the music, Kear says they were called to add some sound effects. Sound effects aren’t something the two usually add to their songs. However, Tompkins says the storm sounds fit perfectly with the vibe of the song. “We talked about the urgency and mood of the music,” says Tompkins, “and came up with lightning and thunder.”

However, it wasn’t until they started writing the lyrics that they knew they had a “Carrie Underwood song.” Kear says that it’s when they wrote the lyrics “Not enough rain in Oklahoma,” that they knew the song was for her. Oklahoma is Underwood’s home state. “We knew if we stuck with that lyric, it was Carrie’s song,” says Kear.

Not only did “Blown Away” become a Carrie Underwood song, but it also became the title of her fourth studio album. The album spent 92 weeks on the charts and peaked at number one. Additionally, the album won the American Music Award for Favorite Country Album.