This is a song recorded by American Idol winner season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood. She's been the biggest star to come off the show other than Kelly Clarkson, and a powerful presence in country music.
This song came out in 2008, so it's not exactly fresh off the press, but it was the song that initially prompted me to start this blog, so I figured I'd do it first. When it first came out, I ranted to my partner about how disappointed I was that Carrie Underwood, artist of "Before he cheats," which carries a strong message of standing up for yourself in a relationship (albiet in a fantasy way, not in a healthy way) was also the artist of this, a song that whose message is that, among other things, marrying your high school sweetheart is more important than your friends, your passion, or your education. His rebuttal was, "um, it's country music. You're the only one I know who listens to that and bothers to rant at the radio."
So let's break this down:
First, the song introduces us to a father who hopes for a son, who can be "his pride and joy." Unfortunately for dad, he gets a baby girl instead, and "all those big dreams changed." Instead, he gets a sweet, beautiful, perfect daughter.
He dotes on her. She grows up and snags the attention of the school football star at 16 years old. He drops his passion, his hobby, his friends, and his chance at an education to be with her. But it's ok, because they grow up and get married, and he wants a daughter just like his wife. (That line always creeps me out.)
Messages:
An "All-American" boy is someone who is very skilled at a sport. The most common usage is football. An all-American girl, on the other hand, is sweet and beautiful, with no described interests of her own, who marries her high school sweetheart and promptly has children.
This is pretty consistent with what's set up in the first verse of the song, which tells how a boy, the father would be proud of because he'd do thing (fishing, football, winning at football.) But his big dreams changed, he couldn't have a pride and joy because he got a daughter. She's sweet and he treats her like a princess, but she doesn't do anything but be pretty.
And this boy gives up everything he's got going on for this girl. He ditches out on football so much that he loses a "free ride to college." This is presented as admirable. I'm not even going to touch the creepy line about how he wants a daughter just like his wife who he met as a teenager.
To the producer's credit, the video does actually imply that the all-American girl could be any number of things, from president to vet to astronaut to cowgirl. But none of that breadth of possibility is present in the song itself.
Full lyrics:
Since the day they got marriedHe'd been praying for a little baby boySomeone he could take fishingThrow the football, be his pride and joyHe could already see him holding that trophyTaking his team to stateBut when the nurse came in with a little pink blanketAll those big dreams changed
And now, he's wrapped around her fingerShe's the center of his whole worldAnd his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfectAll American girl
Sixteen short years laterShe was falling for the senior football starBefore you knew it he was dropping passesSkipping practice just to spend more time with herThe coach said, hey son what's your problemTell me have you lost your mindDaddy said you'll lose your free ride to collegeBoy, you better tell her goodbye
But now, he's wrapped around her fingerShe's the center of his whole worldAnd his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfectAll American
And when they got married and decided to have one of their ownShe said, be honest, tell me what you wantAnd he said, honey you outta know
A sweet, little, beautiful one just like youI want a beautiful, wonderful, perfect All American GirlNow, he's wrapped around her fingerShe's the center of his whole worldAnd his heart belongs to that sweet, little, beautiful, wonderful, perfectAll American girlAll American girl
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