Storyteller is the fifth studio album recorded by American singer and songwriter Carrie Underwood. It was released on October 23, 2015, by Sony Music Nashville. Following the release and success of her fourth studio album, Blown Away (2012), Underwood began working on Storyteller in early 2014. However, she tentatively suspended most work on the album because of her pregnancy with her first child. In the midterm, Underwood released her first greatest hits record, Greatest Hits: Decade #1, on December 9, 2014, to much success. After the birth of her son, she took some additional time off before going back into the studio in early 2015 to finish working on the album.
Met with mostly positive reviews from music critics, Storyteller became a commercial success and set multiple records upon its release. By debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, it made Underwood the only country artist in history to have all of her first five studio albums debut at number one or two, and with a number one debut on the Top Country Albums chart, it made her the only artist to score six consecutive number one albums on the chart. Storyteller also performed well internationally upon its release, including a number four debut in Australia, number three in Canada and thirteen in the United Kingdom. As of October 2016, the album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. It marks Underwood's sixth consecutive album to go either Platinum or multi-Platinum.
The album has produced the back-to-back Billboard Country Airplay chart number-one singles "Heartbeat" and "Church Bells", along with the number-two singles "Smoke Break" and "Dirty Laundry." "Smoke Break", "Hearbeat" and "Dirty Laundry" also topped the Billboard Canada Country chart. All four singles have received a Platinum certification by the RIAA.
Storyteller is Underwood's last album under the Arista Nashville and Sony Music Group, following her new deal with Universal Music Group's Capitol Nashville.
She's a small-town, hard-workin' woman
Just tryna make a livin'
Workin' three jobs, feeding four little mouths
In a run-down kitchen
When you're never takin' nothin' and doin' nothin' but givin'
It's hard to be a good wife and a good mom and a good Christian
[Chorus]
She said, "I don't drink
But sometimes I need a stiff drink
Sippin' from a highball glass
Let the world fade away"
She said, "I don't smoke
But sometimes I need a long drag
Yeah, I know it might sound bad
But sometimes I need a smoke break"
[Verse 2]
He's a big-city, hard-workin' man just tryna climb the ladder
First generation to go to college instead of drivin' a tractor
Never had nothin' handed to him on a silver platter
It's hard to be a good man, good son
Do somethin' good that matters
[Chorus]
He said, "I don't drink
But sometimes I wanna pop that top
Take a swig and make the world stop
And watch it fade away"
He said, "I don't smoke
But sometimes I wanna light it up
Yeah, when things get tough
Sometimes I need a smoke break"
Yeah
[Middle 8]
So here's to you and here's to when the day gets long
Go ahead, I understand if you wanna take a load off
[Chorus]
I don't drink
But sometimes I need a stiff drink
Sipping from a highball glass
Let the world fade away
Yeah, and I don't smoke
But sometimes I need a long drag
Yeah, I know it might sound bad
But sometimes I need a, sometimes I need a
[Outro]
When the day gets long
When the work's all done
When the sun sets
When you need to forget
Grab that cup, mmm
Fill it up
Sip it slow
And let it all go
Ooh