'God Was in the Room' When Carrie Underwood's Smash Hit 'Something In The Water' Was Written
Three-time Grammy-Award winning writer Chris DeStefano say he believes God was in the room when he collaborated with Brett James and Carrie Underwood for her smash Christian-crossover hit "Something In The Water."
The full story behind Underwood, James and DeStefano's number one country song is featured in the new book, Nashville Songwriter, Volume II: The Inside Stories Behind Country Music's Greatest Hits, penned by award-winning Nashville-based music biographer Jake Brown. The book, available now on pre-order, is gearing up for an Oct. 15 release and features stories behind the creation of over 300 number one hits by some of country's biggest stars.
"'Something in the Water' is absolutely one of the most special songs I've ever been a part of," DeStefano said in a new promotional video shared with The Christian Post. "I headed over to Carrie Underwood's cabin, met up with her and my buddy James. I remember saying, 'you guys are either gonna love this or hate it.'"
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DeStefano said he initially presented an instrumental track to the group and Underwood ran with the idea.
"Carrie immediately started singing that melody that you hear in the chorus, and it was just perfect," he continued. "She's like, 'I have this song title, 'Something in the Water,'' and she explained the idea behind the title and Brett and I were immediately for it."
Adding, "It was just the perfect writing day, it happened quickly. The best way I can put it is that God was in the room that day and we channeled it and wrote it. The next thing you know we were standing up and blasting it real loud and one of the times we were playing it out, I heard Carrie singing 'Amazing Grace' over the top of it and I was like 'We have to do that!'"
The songwriter maintained that he thought it was beautiful for her to end that song that way, "it just felt perfect," he said.
DeStefano described Underwood as his "musical kindred spirit" and called her one of the best songwriters in Nashville.
Nashville Songwriter, Volume II shares how DeStefano felt when he heard the American Idol alum first sing the final product.
"That first time she was singing through it, I little bit, just emotionally, was such a powerful moment. I kind of felt like that point, 'I don't know if I'm ever going to write a song like this ever again,' it's definitely a special song part of," the book shares of DeStefano experience on with writing the Christian song.
"Something In The Water" wouldn't be the last song the pair penned together. The two teamed up again to write Underwood's single "The Champion" off of her new album, Cry Pretty. The song was another hit and was embraced by football fans around the country.
The TODAY Show pegged the spring anthem "a gigantic hit all around the globe. It reached the number one spot on iTunes Top Songs chart in 10 countries — including the United States, where it held the top spot throughout its release week and then rose back to the top of the chart for four consecutive days after the Super Bowl LII opening."
Nashville Songwriter, Volume II will be available Oct. 15 and along with providing loads of music business advice the book description says it offers "a definitive look at the real lives of country music's best kept secret, its songwriters, including their back stories, struggles first getting to Music Row, stumbles and successes along the way to the top of the charts, the world of 'holds,' etc., as well as everything else involved in the career of being a Nashville Songwriter."
For more information and to purchase the book visit here.
