‘Jesus, Take the Wheel’: Carrie Underwood’s Faith-Based Hit

Carrie Underwood at the 2007 CMT Music Awards in Nashville. Following Ms. Underwood’s 2007 Grammy award for Best Female Vocal Performance, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was included in the CMT list of “40 Greatest Songs of the Decade.” (Evan Agostini/Getty Images)

In 2005, country singer Carrie Underwood won Season 4 of the singing competition American Idol. As she set out to make a name for herself in country music, she chose the faith-filled song “Jesus, Take the Wheel” as her first single from her debut album, “Some Hearts.”

Many in the industry, including the song’s writers, had their doubts about the song being the right way to introduce modern country fans to her music. But Underwood’s faith never wavered when it came to the emotive track. What began as a seemingly risky music release ended up launching her career.

An Antidote to Writer’s Block

Cover of Carrie Underwood's 2015 album "Some Hearts" featuring her hit single, "Jesus, Take the Wheel." Internet Archive. (Public Domain)

In the early 2000s, songwriters Brett James, Hillary Lindsey, and Gordie Sampson got together for a songwriting session. Around 11 in the morning, the group gathered at Lindsey’s bungalow in the Richland area of Tennessee. Mr. Sampson threw out the first idea for a new song. He pitched the phrase, “Jesus take the wheel,” and wondered if they could do anything with it.

Mr. James detailed both his and Ms. Lindsey’s reaction, “Hillary and I both laughed. I thought it was kind of silly, to be honest with you; I thought, ‘What in the world does that mean?’”

The group went through several more ideas, but they kept coming up short. As a last resort, they decided to revisit Mr. Sampson’s initial song pitch. As it turns out, “Jesus take the wheel” was the best option for them that day. With that decision, Mr. James’s initial dismissive laughter turned into serious artistic commitment.

After they revisited the idea, Mr. James stated he felt there was divine intervention taking place, saying, “Yeah, Jesus totally took the wheel on that one.”

Soon after writing it, they headed to the studio to record a demo of the track. Despite the success of their songwriting session, they thought the song was a long shot in regards to a country artist recording it. Mr. James arranged for five songs to be recorded that day. “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was the last song on the list. He detailed their apprehension about the Christian-themed ballad:

“I think we weren’t sure if people were really going to (connect with) a phrase that [they] haven’t heard. Are people really gonna get this?”

A Crossover Hit

American Idol winner Carrie Underwood performing onstage at the American Idol Finale. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

After winning American Idol, Ms. Underwood was ready to professionally record her first album. She already had success with her pop track “Inside Your Heaven,” that she performed while competing on the talent show and released as a single after winning. As she looked for songs to include on her country record, a spiritually driven track spoke to her. She was so moved by “Jesus, Take the Wheel” that she decided to make it the leading single for her debut album.

But Ms. Underwood’s choice was met with a lot of criticism, and she had to remain firm in her artistic convictions even after it debuted. She said, “After I released “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” people started saying, ‘Oh, it’s kind of risky. You’re coming out with a religious song.’ And I was thinking, Really? I grew up in Oklahoma. I always had a close relationship with God. I never thought it was risky in the least. If anything, I thought it was the safest thing I could do.”

A moving story about a woman who recommits to her Christian faith after she and her baby survive a car crash, “Jesus, Take the Wheel” went from being a questionable single release by her critics to a No. 1 crossover hit in both country and Christian music genres.

The single topped charts for six weeks. It set the tone for her future releases, kicking off a string of hits. Since the release of “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” Underwood has set records, including 15 No. 1 singles on Billboard country charts.

A True Blessing

Carrie Underwood with two Grammy awards for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Jesus, Take The Wheel" and Best New Artist at at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 11, 2007 in Los Angeles, Calif. (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

Since the song’s debut, the spiritually invigorating single has impacted fans of many genres. Ms. Underwood boasts two Grammys from the 2007 awards ceremony for her work on the song, one for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and one for Best New Artist. Popular channel Country Music Television, often referred to as CMT, included it on their list of “40 Greatest Songs of the Decade.”

While Underwood has received plenty of industry praise for her leading country single, the song’s impact was palpable from the moment the writers began working on it. For Mr. James, there was a personal element in writing the song:

“My wife had a similar experience to the girl in the song: She had a car crash when we were dating and she nearly died. Her car spun around several times and went under an 18-wheeler. She said she saw angels come help her. She walked away with no injuries.”

Mr. James still loves hearing from listeners who feel comfort and renewal from the Christian country hit:

“I tell you what’s crazy is how many people have that story of driving in a car and almost crashing, or feeling like they were pulled out by an angel. I’ve heard that story multiple times, like “I had that happen to me.” It’s interesting that it really touched a nerve. So, it’s been a true blessing.”

He said later, “It became such a neat song because it touches people. Those songs are really special.”

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