For Whom Was Carrie Underwood’s Mama’s Song Truly Written? Her Mother or Husband?

Carrie Underwood’s “Mama’s Song” is the final single from her Play On Album and racked her a long list of achievements. For starters, it quickly climbed and took the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart’s number two spot. It also gave Carrie a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Solo Performance. 

The hit song also let her win two American Country Awards: The Female Single of the Year and Female Music Video of the Year. If that wasn’t enough, she also received a BMI Award for Songwriter of the Year because of the song.  

Carrie Underwood co-wrote Mama’s Song with songwriters Luke Laird, Kara DioGuardi, and Marty Frederiksen. Who were all also on board to work on other Carrie Underwood songs in the Play On Album. 

So, for whom was the song written? At first glance, most would assume that the song is for her mother, Carole, because of the title. However, once you hear the lyrics, you’ll instantly notice that it feels like it’s also written for her husband, Mike Fisher. 

For Carrie, the song was for both of them. It was a song for her mother, where she reassured her about how well she brought her up. However, it was also a way for Carrie to talk about Mike and how she thinks he is “the one.”

What did the other songwriters have to say about the song when writing it? Well, Laird says, each songwriter related to it differently. 

For Kara DioGuardi, it was a “special” song that reminded her about her mom, that passed away. According to Laird, anyone present at that time could tell how close Carrie and Kara were. They often see them bonding and talking about their mothers.

As for Laird himself, he recalls hoping that his wife Beth (whom, at that time, he didn’t propose to yet) also felt that he was “the one” for her.

Regardless of the listener’s interpretation of Carrie Underwood’s Mama’s Song, there is one sure thing. Among the seven tracks Carrie co-wrote for the Play On Album, Mama’s Song sounds and feels the most personal one. You can truly feel her love for her mom and Mike throughout the song. 

Watch her official music video of the song below.