Being that the eleventh anniversary of the monumental date in American History, September 11, 2011, is upon us, I felt it would be fitting to discuss a song dedicated to the United States military. The song I chose is by Carrie Underwood, the title is Just a Dream. This song is not only moving for the United States military and their families; I feel that anyone can relate to these lyrics. I think this way because that dreadful day affected all of us as a nation. I love this song because the way she organized the lyrics is incredible; she begins the song with a mood and as the song progresses, the mood takes a dramatic turn. The song begins by starting with a cheerful and happy mood, and when the stage is set the mood changes to dark and depressing.
The second line of the song is “all dressed in white, going to the church that night”. By these few words alone, one can clearly tell that she seems to be awaiting the walk down the aisle for her wedding. She explains that she is getting ready for her wedding, and she is marrying her fiancé that is in the United States military. Just a few lines later, it is revealed that she is not going to her wedding; she is going to her fiancé’s funeral. Her fiancé had been killed in combat, and she just can’t believe he is gone. This is where the title “Just a Dream” comes from, she wanted to be his forever and now that is now possible. Even more so than the song itself, the music video for Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream” is even more moving. After a brief intro, there is a bride that is actually standing at the end of the aisle waiting to walk to her future husband. All of the guests are there standing, smiling, waiting for her to make her appearance. She begins to walk with a military band playing, and as she is walking down the aisle, the guests stop smiling and start crying. The band chases the tune of the song, and her dress goes from a beautiful bridal gown to a black funeral dress. She is no longer holding her bridal bouquet, she is holding a folded up flag and is crying by her love’s casket. All of her emotions throughout the song are clearly expressed, but what makes this song stand out is that the emotion changes from a strong happy mood, to a deep sadness.