The Bumper of My SUV

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“The Bumper of My SUV”
Single by Chely Wright
from the album The Metropolitan Hotel
Released November 2004
Format CD single
Genre Country
Length 4:41
Label Dualtone/Painted Red
Writer(s) Chely Wright
Chely Wright singles chronology
"Back of the Bottom Drawer"
(2004)		 "Bumper of My S.U.V."
(2004)		 "The River"
(2005)

"The Bumper of My SUV" is a single, released in November 2004, by American country music artist Chely Wright. A #35 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, it was the second single from her 2004 album The Metropolitan Hotel. The song garnered attention upon its release when it was discovered that members of Wright's fan club had been placing false requests to help the song move up the charts.

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Written entirely by Wright, the song is a ballad, accompanied almost exclusively by piano. Its lyrics are a first-person account of a woman who is driving her SUV. She is given the finger by another driver, due to the fact that she (the singer) has "a bright red sticker for the U.S. Marines / on the bumper of [her] SUV". The singer then defends her sticker, stating that her family served in the Marines.[1] The song was inspired by an actual incident, according to Wright.[2] Wright has stated that she did not intend for the song to be pro-war.[3] In addition, she has stated that she recorded the song begrudgingly, and did not intend for it to be a single.[3]

[edit] Re-release

Signed to Dualtone Records at the time, Wright released "The Bumper of My SUV" in November 2004 as the second single from her album The Metropolitan Hotel. The song soon became the second fastest-selling single on the Billboard country sales charts at the time, and reached a peak of #35 on the U.S. Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) charts.

[edit] Chely's fan club

While the song was climbing the charts, it was discovered that members of Wright's fan club were contacting radio stations nationwide, requesting increased airplay for the song to help it climb the charts.[1][4] These fan club members had posed as family or friends of military members when making their requests.[1][4][5] After discovering the actions of her fan club's members, Wright fired the club's leader, with whom she had been friends since 1996.[1][6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Campaign of deception used to push patriotic song up charts
  2. ^ "Bumper of My SUV" Singer Signs Autographs at Henderson Hall
  3. ^ a b CMT.com : News : Chely Wright's Candid and Reflective New Album
  4. ^ a b Fan club pros say Wright's went too far
  5. ^ Country Single's Radio Requests Deemed Deceptive
  6. ^ CMT.com : Chely Wright : Chely Wright Dismisses Fan Club President

[edit] External links