War Songs

If You're Reading This by Tim McGraw

Although Tim McGraw had no involvement with war directly or indirectly, his song If You’re Reading This is a very powerful song about war. It’s about a guy who went off to war and died. He wrote his wife a letter for her to receive if he died. This song is him narrating the letter to her. It’s saying how he wishes he could have seen her one more time and that he can’t see the birth of their daughter or take part and raising her. He says he doesn’t regret following in his father’s shoes even though wished he hadn’t. And even though he will be gone and she will miss him, he wants her to find someone else to love and not be stuck mourning him. This song is about a very powerful topic of war, and can reach out to many widows in this position. The music in this song is slow and very sad-sounding. The emotions from the “letter” seem so real and Tim McGraw does a wonderful job of giving you the feeling of mourning and sadness.

Just A Dream by Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood also has no indirect or direct involvement with war. Her song Just A Dream deals with a girl who got married at 18 as an army wife and is now a widow. I believe Carrie Underwood has this song to show how widows feel when their husbands die at war. This song is from a bystander’s point of view because Carrie Underwood has personally not gone through this. Although she has not gone through this, the feelings this song generates the true feelings that a widow would feel when they find out their husband had died at war. The feelings of abandonment, betrayal, and disbelief are very strong in this song. If you are someone who has not been in this position, this song perfectly displays the emotions you experience in this situation. Carrie Underwood perfectly gets the powerful emotions of war across in this song.