Dark Sunglasses

Album: Stockholm (2014)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first single from Chrissie Hynde's debut solo album, Stockholm, finds her in an irreverent mood, an attitude she feels is missing these days. "So much of rock n roll has become what I would call Glory Rock, with family values," she said. "It's the irreverence in rock that was always the turn-on. I disagree with people who say you shouldn't take yourself too seriously. I think life is serious, and you should take it seriously, but in rock n roll either have a f---ing laugh or f--- off."
  • Though Stockholm is Chrissie Hynde's first album under her own name, the former Pretenders frontwoman has previously had some success away from her main band. Her version of Dusty Springfield's "Breakfast in Bed," with UB40, reached #6 in the UK charts as well as #4 on Alternative Songs in 1988 and Tube and Berger's 2004 single "Straight Ahead," featuring Hynde peaked at #29 in the UK as well as topping Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart in 2004.
  • After being introduced to Swedish songwriter Björn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John, Hynde spent two years with him at Stockholm's Ingrid Studios writing and recording. Asked by HMV.com about the album title, Hynde replied: "I spent those two years with those guys who I couldn't convince to be in a band with me, so I thought I'd pay tribute to them by calling it Stockholm. It's a very fertile city, musically, lots of studios, lots of bands, I really miss that."

    "Throughout my career I loved it when there a scene going on, I was in London in the punk days when everyone was carrying a guitar and everyone was in bands, it was great," she added. "It's more dissipated now with the internet, scenes don't need to be regional anymore, people are looking at screens."
  • It was Björn Yttling who suggested this song's title. Hynde told HMV.com: "Normally I would go in and Bjorn would suggest a title, one day he said to me 'Dark Sunglasses' and I thought 'You can't title a song Dark Sunglasses,' that's the oldest cliché in the book, but he was right, it's a great title. He'd give me a name and it'd trigger something off. Lyrically, it's just whatever was running around my head."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Howard Jones

Howard JonesSongwriter Interviews

Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of WayneSongwriter Interviews

The guy who brought us "Stacy's Mom" also wrote the Jane Lynch Emmy song and Stephen Colbert's Christmas songs.

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Jon Anderson

Jon AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.