Temporary Home

Carrie Underwood was inspired by the book The Purpose Driven Life by Pastor Rick Warren, who wrote that this world is a "temporary home" and that when we leave here, it is not the end of existence. Jessica Phillips, [https://www.countrystandardtime.com/blog/thefrontporch/entry.asp?xid=517 Carrie Underwood's Boyfriend Inspires Song on Play On], countrystandardtime.com, USA, November 4, 2009 Carrie said, "I thought of a little boy in a foster situation, and he knows where he's going, and the place where he is isn't where he should be, but he'll get there someday." She met with songwriters Luke Laird and Zac Maloy to write the song, provide the idea and the title, and had the melody.

On November 16, 2009, Underwood performed the song on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.{{cite web|title=The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien|url=http://www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/us/event/2009/11/16|publisher=The Official Carrie Underwood Site|accessdate=2010-05-02|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723203423/http://www.carrieunderwoodofficial.com/us/event/2009/11/16|archivedate=2011-07-23}} She also performed this song on 'Home for the Holidays', a CBS special that Faith Hill hosted on December 23, 2009. Before her performance at Foxwoods Casino, Connecticut, Underwood's tour bus crashed and the driver was killed. During her performance, Underwood got emotional and said "This song means so much to me..." and gave a tearful performance. N6, [https://www.newson6.com/story/5e366ea62f69d76f6207e1ae/carrie-underwood-tour-truck-driver-killed-in-connecticut-accident Carrie Underwood Tour Truck Driver Killed In Connecticut], newson6.com, USA, March 22, 2010

{{Listen|filename=TemporaryHome.ogg|title=Carrie Underwood "Temporary Home" (2009)|description=26 second sample from Carrie Underwood's "Temporary Home".|format=Ogg}}

Reviews of the song have been mainly positive. Billboard gave a positive review saying that "Hope reverberates through the scenarios as each character senses that life on Earth is but a temporary trial....Vocally, she has never sounded more heartfelt and compelling. 'Temporary Home' is a powerful song that's stirring but not preachy, and Underwood's performance is sure to resonate strongly with listeners."{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/1069885/carrie-underwood-temporary-home|title = Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"|magazine = Billboard|date = 19 January 2010}}{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6075F720100108 | work=Reuters | title=Billboard singles reviews: Carrie Underwood, Young Money | date=January 8, 2010}}

Country Universe gave the track an A− grade saying "It’s not the narrative that powers this song, but the depth and strength of her personal conviction. From the inclusion of neglected members of society to the intricate shades of {{Sic|hide=y|fully|-}}invested emotion to the telling last line –“this is our temporary home”–, the song provides a glimpse at the person behind the artist."{{cite web |url=http://www.countryuniverse.net/2009/12/28/review-carrie-underwood-temporary-home/|title=Review: Carrie Underwood, "Temporary Home"|last=Seetharam|first=Tara|date=December 28, 2009 |publisher=Country Universe|accessdate=May 2, 2010}}

Roughstock was also positive in their review saying, "In 'Temporary Home', three characters all take on some interpretation of the title phrase: a literal sense for the foster child bounced from home to home, a struggling young mother in a halfway house, and a spiritual sense for the man on his deathbed. What could've easily been a mountain of glurge instead becomes simple and effective."{{cite web|url=http://www.roughstock.com/blog/carrie-underwood-temporary-home-|title=Carrie Underwood - "Temporary Home"|last=Peacock|first=Bobby|date=February 16, 2010|publisher=Roughstock|accessdate=May 2, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529215303/http://www.roughstock.com/blog/carrie-underwood-temporary-home-|archivedate=May 29, 2010}}

Jim Malec of 9513 was less enthusiastic about the song, saying "It’s hard to relate to, or have much sympathy for, people who we know aren’t real. As a result, 'Temporary Home' has a very dull emotional affect—we’re sad because hard times are sad, and we’re happy because we hope tomorrow will be better, but we know the whole scenario is constructed to preach a particular point of view. Between the first note and the last, not a single lyric works to reveal something about ourselves or strives to tell us a story—its impact is blunt, hits fast and fades quickly." He was positive about Underwood's vocals saying, "Underwood shows off those refined chops on new single 'Temporary Home'; her vocal is beautifully delicate, and the downtempo pace of the song grants a welcome reprieve for her typically bombastic production."{{cite web |url=http://www.the9513.com/carrie-underwood-temporary-home/|title=Carrie Underwood - "Temporary Home"|last=Malec|first=Jim |date=December 18, 2009|publisher=The 9513|accessdate=May 2, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222055123/http://www.the9513.com/carrie-underwood-temporary-home/|archivedate=December 22, 2009}}

Originally, a live performance from CMT's Invitation Only, was released as a music video to promote the single. A concept music video for the song was filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, and premiered on CMT on February 4, 2010.{{cite web|url =http://www.cmt.com/videos/carrie-underwood/478351/temporary-home.jhtml?id=1631127|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100208075139/http://www.cmt.com/videos/carrie-underwood/478351/temporary-home.jhtml?id=1631127|url-status =dead|archive-date =February 8, 2010|title =CMT Videos: Music Binge - 2.4.10 : Temporary Home|publisher =CMT.com|accessdate =2010-10-14}}

The video was directed and produced by Deaton Flanigen. In the song's music video Underwood is shown riding around town in a taxi cab. During her journey she watches a young boy with his new foster mother, and a mother trying desperately to get a job. Finally, she reaches her destination, a hospital room with an elderly man, presumably her grandfather, lying on his deathbed. Between the third verse and third chorus on the video, Underwood goes in and talks to her dying grandfather (portrayed by Jerry Foster in the video), cries and hugs him. Throughout the video, Underwood is also shown performing the song while standing among trees in the winter, with snowfall coming down behind her. Underwood said of the video,

{{Blockquote|"It's kind of like one person on their way somewhere, which is a theme of this song. You're headed someplace, and then they kind of share these special moments with the characters. But through that, I felt like everybody's on their own journey, and we all cross paths. So I felt like it was close enough to the story, but just far enough away to where it kind of provided a different angle."{{cite web|url =http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=17336|title =Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood Songfacts|publisher =Songfacts.com|accessdate =2010-10-14}}}}

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| align="center"|2010 ||align="center"| "Temporary Home" ||align="center"| Best Female Country Vocal Performance || {{nom}}

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| align="center"|2010 ||align="center"| "Temporary Home" ||align="center"| Inspirational Music Video of the Year || {{won}}

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| align="center"|2010 ||align="center"| "Temporary Home" ||align="center"| Inspirational Mainstream Country Song of the Year || {{nom}}

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{{Awards table}}

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| align="center"|2010 ||align="center"| "Temporary Home" (from CMT Invitation Only) ||align="center"| CMT Performance of the Year || {{won}}

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{{Awards table}}

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| align="center"|2010 ||align="center"| "Temporary Home" ||align="center"| Triple-Play Songwriter (along with "Cowboy Casanova" and "Undo It") || {{won}}

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| align="center"|2011 ||align="center"| "Temporary Home" ||align="center"| Songwriter of the Year || {{won}}

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"Temporary Home" debuted at number 92 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at number 66 on the Canadian Hot 100 and peaked at number 41 and 65 respectively. It also debuted at number 48 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart on the week ending December 12, 2009, and on the chart week of April 10, 2010, the song became her ninth number one single and peaked at number 34 on the U.S. Christian Songs chart.

As of October 2015, "Temporary Home" has sold 1,093,000 copies in the United States.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7476936/britney-spears-hot-100-make-me-video|title = Britney Spears Rebounds on the Hot 100 After 'Make Me' Video Release|magazine = Billboard|date = 18 August 2016}}

As a promotional single (before the release of Play On):

United States: 31,000

• These sales only count for the purchases of the song that were bought during the album's promotion period before it was released as an official single.{{cite news |title=Your weekly sales fix: Kelly Clarkson, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen tracks|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/idolchatter/post/2009/11/your-weekly-sales-fix-kelly-clarkson-adam-lambert-kris-allen-tracks/1|publisher=Idol Chatter - Candid commentary on American Idol Performances|accessdate=2010-05-02 | date=November 4, 2009|first=Brian|last=Mansfield}}

As a confirmed single (after the release of Play On):

United States: 1,093,000{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6722951/ask-billboard-chart-beats-piano-man-returns|title = Ask Billboard: Chart Beat's 'Piano Man' Returns!|magazine = Billboard|date = 11 October 2015}}

The song has been certified Platinum.{{cite web |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Carrie%20Underwood&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50 |title=RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - September 24, 2015 |website=www.riaa.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924155341/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Carrie%20Underwood&format=SINGLE&go=Search&perPage=50 |archive-date=2015-09-24}}

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{{certification Table Entry|type=single|region=United States|artist=Carrie Underwood|title=Temporary Home|award=Platinum|certyear=2013|certmonth=7|relyear=2009|access-date=January 10, 2014}}

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{{reflist|2}}

{{Carrie Underwood singles}}

Category:2009 singles

Category:Carrie Underwood songs

Category:Songs written by Carrie Underwood

Category:Country ballads

Category:Arista Nashville singles

Category:Songs written by Luke Laird

Category:Music videos directed by Deaton-Flanigen Productions

Category:Song recordings produced by Mark Bright (record producer)

Category:Songs written by Zac Maloy

Category:2009 songs

Category:2000s ballads

Category:Songs about death

Category:Songs about homelessness