In Carrie Underwood’s music video for the track “See You Again,” soldiers are depicted returning to their families at an airport. The video shows a young girl enthusiastically running towards her father and embracing him, while a large sign that says “Welcome home daddy!” is displayed in the background. This emotional scene serves as a reminder that people will eventually be reunited with their loved ones, whether it be in this life or in the afterlife. The release of this song by Underwood came shortly after the tragic events of the Sandy Hook shootings and Oklahoma tornadoes. These recent disasters have contributed to a prevailing sense of pessimism and loss of hope in contemporary society.
“See You Again” presents the society’s loss of hope through raw images and reasons, but it also serves as a reminder that we need to find and hold on to hope, as without it, today’s society is left with nothing. Underwood emphasizes the abundance of things to hope for in the world and urges people to let go of negative mindsets and actively contribute to making the world a better place. Through intense tension, heartfelt lyrics, and numerous images, “See You Again” conveys the important message that today’s society must rekindle and preserve hope.
The video begins in a white room with white sheer curtains, depicting Carrie Underwood in all white attire. In a swift moment, the video rapidly showcases numerous images and videos, including military homecomings, graduations, tragedies like Sandy Hook shootings and Oklahoma tornadoes, as well as joyful moments like proposals and weddings. The video prominently highlights military reunions, losses, and an array of cherished memories.
Carrie Underwood appears multiple times in the video, within a bright white room. Alongside these scenes, the video also includes visuals of the memorials for the Sandy Hook shooting and a tribute to Oklahoma. The camera then returns to Underwood, revealing her sitting with her head nestled on her crossed arms. This unveils a more vulnerable side of Carrie, demonstrating the personal connection between the artist and the subject’s significance. As the video nears its conclusion, it transitions to featuring only happier and optimistic imagery.
In the white room, the camera zooms in on Carrie. A bright white light appears, gradually filling the entire space. This symbolizes the anticipation of faith being revived in our society today, despite the hardships we have endured. The video highlights the suffering experienced by people in modern times. It includes visuals of the Sandy Hook shooting memorial and evokes memories of previous tragedies such as 9/11. As the scene unfolds, the brightness of the light decreases, and Underwood is shown as vulnerable.
The dimming of the light witnessed by the audience symbolizes the despair following the devastating assault on the twin towers. On September 11, 2001, a faction of Islamic extremists commandeered four airplanes and executed self-destructive assaults on American soil. The World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City were specifically selected as targets for two planes, while another plane collided with the Pentagon. The fourth and last plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. This calamitous attack inflicted significant casualties upon the United States and spurred them to implement counterterrorism initiatives.
Similar to the nation’s despair after the twin tower attacks, a comparable feeling overwhelmed the country in the wake of the Sandy Hook elementary shooting on December 14, 2012. A twenty-year-old individual entered Sandy Hook elementary school and tragically ended the lives of twenty children and six adults. Once again, our nation was filled with hopelessness and despair. Carrie Underwood’s music video showcases poignant scenes from memorials honoring this tragic event, provoking vivid recollections among Americans.
Underwood’s heartfelt lyrics are paired with a video showcasing cheerful children, resulting in a blend of sorrow and hopefulness. The lyrics convey the notion that despite experiencing heartbreak, it is imperative to remain resilient since we will reunite with our dear ones. This sentiment serves as a prompt to commemorate the individuals who perished in devastating incidents such as the Twin Towers attack or Sandy Hook shooting.
The Twin Towers attacks and the Sandy Hook Shooting caused a feeling of despair in the United States. Underwood’s music video begins with her singing the lyrics, “Said goodbye, turned around and you were gone, gone, gone, faded into the setting sun slipped away” (Underwood). These lyrics symbolize the sudden loss of life, reminiscent of those affected by Sandy Hook and 9/11. Such events leave society without hope and a sense of security within their community.
In her 2011 publication “Hope,” Gloria Rubio-Corte highlights the importance of having a home for individuals to find hope (Cortes 27). Despite tragic events like the Twin Towers attacks and Sandy Hook shooting, people no longer feel a sense of belonging or comfort, even when surrounded by loved ones. According to Cortes, true solace can only be attained when individuals perceive their community as secure.
In society, the primary reason for tension is the absence of hope; however, time possesses the ability to mend all wounds. In today’s world, there exists a resilience to bounce back from significant events that lead to a loss of hope, such as the Twin Tower attacks and the Sandy Hook shootings. This resilience is made possible by the United States being generally an optimistic society. Underwood’s lyrics convey impactful words that instill hope within the audience. The accompanying video depicts Carrie in her entirely white room, singing “Sometimes I feel my heart is breaking but I stay strong and I hold on cause I know I will see you again, this is not where it ends” (Underwood).
In this pinnacle moment of the song, Underwood delivers a powerful message to the audience. She emphasizes that despite sadness caused by losses, it is vital for society to recognize the potential for reuniting with loved ones in either this life or the afterlife. Through her lyrics, Underwood expresses that we must not let our hope perish. In a world filled with tension and marked by acts of violence and shootings, it is essential for the community to unite and seek solace in each other as well as in our nation as a whole.
Underwood’s powerful lyrics convey a message of hope in today’s society. She uses both on-screen images and ones created in the audience’s mind to demonstrate how hope can be rediscovered. The music video features around fifty tearjerking images and videos that deeply touch the audience. However, Underwood’s strong tension and impactful lyrics transform the initial emotions into something else entirely.
No matter how the viewers see these videos, the artist maintains a positive tone by intermittently showing the singer dressed in all white. This serves as a reminder to the audience that, despite the nation’s past difficulties, we remain united and optimistic. Following the 9/11 attacks, society found hope through unity. Cortes emphasizes in her article that rediscovering hope requires collective effort (Cortes 29).
The music video for Carrie Underwood’s “See You Again” takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster, ultimately leaving them with a sense of hope. Underwood uses powerful imagery and lyrics to remind viewers of the progress society has made and the need to maintain a positive mindset in the face of world challenges.
Carrie Underwood’s personal connection to the song “See You Again” has deeply touched the community and this music video serves as a reminder to society that unity is necessary to find and maintain hope in the face of adversity.
Works Cited
Carrie Underwood, Tim Jones. “See You Again.” YouTube. YouTube, 4 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Rubio-Cortes, Gloria. “Hope.” National Civic Review 100. 1 (2011): 26-29. Business Source Complete. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
