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Katelyn Feeser

Professor Joyce Barnes

English 1201. 502

13 February 2022

The Thunder Rolls

The 1990 song “The Thunder Rolls,” by Garth Brooks was released and brought to light a

topic. A topic that back in the 90’s a lot of people didn’t want to discuss. The song was written in

a time when domestic violence and cheating where known, but not discussed publicly. Research

says that the 90s was the peak for domestic violence and has since decreased. The music video

made some people uncomfortable with the violence shown and the reality to some. The original

video almost got banned and was needing to be remade. The remix metal version gives the same

message, but not as violent as the original and gives a more modern visual.

The original Garth Brooks video starts off showing a man in a hotel room with a woman

who is clearly not his wife, since he makes the comment, he is a “family man” when the woman

in the hotel says, “you should be with me.” The video shows a man who is cheating and when

the video goes to another woman “the wife” waiting by the telephone, she looks like she has

been beaten. He comes home late in the night and the two fight and the daughter comes down the

stairs. The wife is fed up with the husband and seems scared for not only her life but their

child’s. To save herself and her daughter she had to pull a gun on the husband.

The song is talking about how a storm is coming and with storms they always get worse

before they end. The intention of the original version by Garth Brooks is to bring light to the
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reality of domestic violence and to hopefully bring awareness to others. The pathos used in this

song are so strong with the lyrics that it makes you really pay attention to what is going on in the

video. Gives you a real emotional connection with the women in the video. The first women (the

mistress) has disappointment in her eyes when he says he is a “family man.” Then with the wife

when she is sitting by the telephone, and she turns her head, you see the black eye. That makes

you feel sadness for her and anger towards whomever did that to her, who we can assume is the

man in the video her husband. Who can do that to someone they supposably love? Finally, when

she pulls the gun on him after they had been fighting and the daughter comes down the stairs and

you see that fear while she holds the gun because she doesn’t know what to do. Makes your heart

drop and feel for the woman. Makes you ask questions like “What did the wife go through, how

long had she endured the violence?”

STATE of MINE version released in 2021 is a modern approach to domestic violence.

Some could say domestic problems and the video gets the same message across without showing

any direct violence. The music itself is the same lyrics but with a metal twist to the rhythm and

give you a more intense feel to the song. It really grabs your attention from the beginning to the

end. The video is based on a couple who are married and starts with the same scene as the

original video when the woman is waiting for him to come home, yet unlike the original it does

not show and domestic violence. Show the man with another woman and then when he comes

home finally, he is caught cheating by having lipstick on his neck.

This version of the song is strong with the message as the couple argue but instead of the

final scene the wife pointing a gun. This version shows a better option of packing her bags and

getting in a vehicle leaving the situation. The song gives a pathos feel of the woman waiting for

her husband to come home what seems to be their anniversary day. The frustration on her face
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we can all relate to. The scene of her packing her bags because she is fed up with him and is not

going to deal with a cheating man is not only a sign of maturity but a sign of strength. We can

hope that if a situation where to rise like this, more women would react by walking away before

things get to such a drastic point of life or death, like in the original video.

The two versions of the song have the same message, the metaphorical thunderstorm that

rolls in and can determine how we handle domestic situations. The first version is a good

example of what can possibly become of the second version, if in the second version the woman

did not walk away. In the original video I am sure the wife went through the same heart ache as

the remix wife did but the difference is she didn’t walk away and let that storm brew longer.

In Garths Brooks original version for that time of release was aimed for the generation of

women that were not listen to about domestic violence and the video was released to open

people’s minds and to some relate to the problem. Those times young married, any age of

marriage, or in a relationship. While the 2021 STATE of MINE version is a more modern and

made to relate to the current situation of relationships in the world. Still young married or any

age married in relationship couples. But like I said the second version is for modern and the

reality of what you can do in a situation is walk away before it gets worse. The lyrics of the

songs are similar if not the same just given a Metal twist. The STATE of MINE version is more

appealing to the generations now and grabs your attention more. The Garth Brooks version is an

older song, and some may not appreciate the original version as much as the metal version.
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Work Cited

“The Thunder Rolls” -STATE of MINE (feat. No Resolve)- Garth Brooks METAL cover,

STATE of MINE, 22 January 2021 URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YS-CO2CRew

“The Thunder Rolls” Official Video- Garth Brooks, Rican219_Biker, 24 May 2021 URL:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiYEapQR1A0

Dara Lind “Domestic Violence has been dropping for 20 years. Here’s how to keep that going”

Vox April 19, 2014 http://www.vox.com/2014/4/19/5628454/were-keeping-domestic-violence-

low-we-could-be-doing-more