The Bumper of My SUV

Infobox Single
Name = The Bumper of My SUV


Cover size =
Caption =
Artist = Chely Wright
from Album = The Metropolitan Hotel
Released = November 2004
Format = CD single
Recorded =
Genre = Country
Length = 4:41
Label = Dualtone/Painted Red
Writer = Chely Wright
Producer =
Certification =
Last single = "Back of the Bottom Drawer"
(2004)
This single = "Bumper of My S.U.V."
(2004)
Next single = "The River"
(2005)
Misc =

"The Bumper of My SUV" is a single, released in November 2004, by American country music artist Chely Wright. A #35 hit on the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs charts, it also spent 9 weeks at #1 on 'Billboard'Country Sales chart. It was the second single from her 2004 album "The Metropolitan Hotel". The song garnered attention when it was first played for troops while Wright was visiting Iraq.

Content

Written entirely by Wright, the song is a ballad, accompanied almost exclusively by piano. Its lyrics are a first-person account of a woman who is driving her SUV. She is given the finger by another driver, due to the fact that she (the singer) has "a bright red sticker for the U.S. Marines / on the bumper of [her] SUV". The singer then defends her sticker, stating that her family served in the Marines. [http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/04/12/63065885.shtml Campaign of deception used to push patriotic song up charts] ] The song was inspired by an actual incident, according to Wright. [ [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=31105 "Bumper of My SUV" Singer Signs Autographs at Henderson Hall] ] Wright has stated that she did not intend for the song to be pro-war. [http://www.cmt.com/news/articles/1497634/20050301/wright_chely.jhtml?headlines=true CMT.com : News : Chely Wright's Candid and Reflective New Album] ] In addition, she has stated that she recorded the song begrudgingly, and did not intend for it to be a single.

Re-release

Signed to Dualtone Records at the time, Wright released "The Bumper of My SUV" in November 2004 as the second single from her album "The Metropolitan Hotel". The song soon became the second fastest-selling single on the "Billboard" country sales charts at the time, and reached a peak of #35 on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.

Wright's fan club

While the song was climbing the charts, it was discovered that members of Wright's fan club were contacting radio stations nationwide, requesting increased airplay for the song to help it climb the charts. [http://www.tennessean.com/business/archives/04/12/63123828.shtml?Element_ID=63123828 Fan club pros say Wright's went too far] ] These fan club members had posed as family or friends of military members when making their requests. [ [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4236867 Country Single's Radio Requests Deemed Deceptive] ] After discovering the actions of her fan club's members, Wright fired the club's leader, with whom she had been friends since 1996. [ [http://www.cmt.com/artists/news/1495086/20041220/wright_chely.jhtml CMT.com : Chely Wright : Chely Wright Dismisses Fan Club President] ]

Critical reception

Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine, in his review of "The Metropolitan Hotel", described the song as follows: " [T] he cloying 'The Bumper of My S.U.V.' is well-intentioned but is one of the more awkward Iraqi war songs -- but those missteps only enhance the feeling that this album is a personal work for Wright, and that she's willing to make mistakes along the way." [cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jpfyxqusldae |title="The Metropolitan Hotel" overview |accessdate=2008-10-10 |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |authorlink=Stephen Thomas Erlewine |work=Allmusic]

References