The Bumper of My SUV
Encyclopedia
"The Bumper of My SUV" is the title of a song written and recorded by American
country music
artist Chely Wright
. It was released in November 2004 as 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.
, 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, because 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. Wright has stated that she did not intend for the song to be pro-war. In addition, she has stated that she recorded the song begrudgingly, and did not intend for it to be a single.
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.
, 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."
The Onion reviews this song as follows: "As far as jingoistic songs go, Chely Wright's "The Bumper Of My SUV" is pretty tame, essentially an examination of blue-red relations. Still, it's pretty hilarious: A woman in a mini-van gives Wright the finger, and Wright assumes it's because she has a U.S. Marines bumper sticker on her SUV. Hey Chely, maybe it's because you're taking up two lanes or wasting what's left of the earth's petroleum. Who knew that pro-America country singers—with especially overwrought Southern accents—hated minivans and private school?"
intercut with footage shot during her visits with troops in Iraq.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Chely Wright
Chely Wright
Richell Rene "Chely" Wright is an American country music artist and, starting in 2010, gay rights activist. On the strength of her debut album in 1994, the Academy of Country Music named her Top New Female Vocalist in 1995. Wright's first Top 40 country hit came in 1997 with "Shut Up and Drive"...
. It was released in November 2004 as the second single from her 2004 album The Metropolitan Hotel
The Metropolitan Hotel
The Metropolitan Hotel is the sixth studio album released by American country music artist Chely Wright. It was her first album for the Dualtone label, after a failed deal with the Vivaton! label. This album produced four singles, of which two were Top 40 hits on the country music charts: the...
. The song garnered attention when it was first played for troops while Wright was visiting Iraq.
Background and writing
The song was inspired by an actual incident, according to Wright. She told Billboard magazine that in mid-2003, she was driving in Nashville when a motorist in a minivan behind her noticed the Marine Corps sticker on the artist's bumper. Wright's brother is a Marine who sent her the sticker before he shipped off to Iraq. Wright said that the woman began honking, swerving and flicking her lights. "I look in the rear view, and she's flipping me the bird, hard, I thought I cut her off, because I'm a really bad driver." She went on to say that when the woman finally pulled up next to her and motioned for her to roll down her window she screamed "Your war is wrong. You're a baby killer." She went home and immediately wrote the song.Content
Written entirely by Wright, the song is a balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, accompanied almost exclusively by piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Its lyrics are a first-person account of a woman who is driving her SUV. She is given the finger
Finger (gesture)
In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
by another driver, because she (the singer) has "a bright red sticker for the U.S. Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
/ on the bumper of [her] SUV". The singer then defends her sticker, stating that her family served in the Marines. Wright has stated that she did not intend for the song to be pro-war. In addition, she has stated that she recorded the song begrudgingly, and did not intend for it to be a single.
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. These fan club members had posed as family or friends of military members when making their requests. After discovering the actions of her fan club's members, Wright fired the club's leader, with whom she had been friends since 1996.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 BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country sales charts at the time, and reached a peak of #35 on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
) charts.
Critical reception
Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
, 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."
The Onion reviews this song as follows: "As far as jingoistic songs go, Chely Wright's "The Bumper Of My SUV" is pretty tame, essentially an examination of blue-red relations. Still, it's pretty hilarious: A woman in a mini-van gives Wright the finger, and Wright assumes it's because she has a U.S. Marines bumper sticker on her SUV. Hey Chely, maybe it's because you're taking up two lanes or wasting what's left of the earth's petroleum. Who knew that pro-America country singers—with especially overwrought Southern accents—hated minivans and private school?"
Music video
The music video features her performance of the song on the Grand Ole OpryGrand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
intercut with footage shot during her visits with troops in Iraq.
Original version
| Chart (2004) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 54 |
Re-release
| Chart (2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 35 |