Blue Bandana

Album: single release only (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This nostalgic ode to fans that attend the summer festivals across the country is sung by Niemann through the eyes of a girl that travels to the outdoor music events. "Being a music fan, I know that girl in the song," Niemann told Rolling Stone. "['Blue Bandana'] is a story-song and a tip of the hat to those people who drive all over the place and spend their money to let us jam with them."
  • The wandering country travelogue was penned by Ben Goldsmith, C.J. Solar and Andrew Scott Wills, three writers who have never had a song cut by another artist, until Niemann recorded this tune. "I have really enjoyed finding songs by some of the newer songwriters,"the singer told Billboard magazine. "Nashville always has talent coming here, and that makes it so special, but there's three writers on the song that have never had a cut. It's so great to hear that fresh and untapped talent straight off of the bus."
  • The song has a very earthy tone, much like Niemann's debut album Long Hard Road, which he released independently in 1999. "We just stripped it down," the singer said. "I told Jimmie Lee Sloas, who produced the record, that I wanted to get rid of all the effects and compression. We turned it all off and really deadened the sound like they did in the classic rock and Southern rock days. I feel that it really allows the record to breathe a little bit."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New York

Janis Ian: Married in London, but not in New YorkSong Writing

Can you be married in one country but not another? Only if you're part of a gay couple. One of the first famous singers to come out as a lesbian, Janis wrote a song about it.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Songs Discussed in Movies

Songs Discussed in MoviesSong Writing

Bridesmaids, Reservoir Dogs, Willy Wonka - just a few of the flicks where characters discuss specific songs, sometimes as a prelude to murder.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."