Bummerland
by AJR

Album: OK Orchestra (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The AJR trio wrote this down-on-your-luck anthem during the coronavirus lockdown. They start off by referencing how the pandemic put a halt on their objectives for 2020.

    Bummerland, here I am
    Better nix my summer plans


    And the boredom from being stuck at home quarantining.

    This month I got seven haircuts
    And now my hair is all gone
    It's sad but I've been alone for too long
    So I keep getting haircuts


    Jack Metzger told ABC Audio that this and other songs written by AJR during the lockdown were inspired by the "unprecedented-ness and emotion of this situation."
  • Though most of the lyrics are downbeat, the chorus ends on a positive note.

    Bummerland, sorry dear
    But you're only going up from here


    "There's this weird moment when you hit rock bottom, when you start to appreciate and celebrate any tiny win, and we thought that could be an interesting complement to a high-energy song," said AJR in a press release. "We thought, now more than ever, people could use a song like this."
  • In the past, the Metzger brother trio have garnered their song ideas from going about their normal daily routine. When lyrical inspiration popped into their heads, they'd go home and write about it. However, working on their new material while in quarantine forced them to tinker with their writing process. Said Jack Metzger: "Now, since we're staying inside with nothing to do but write, we have to sit down at... 10 a.m. and say, 'Alright, let's come up with ideas for today!'"
  • AJR performed this song during their drive-in concert in Philadelphia on August 19, 2020. They released it a fortnight later on August 31, 2020.
  • AJR's childhood friend Edoardo Ranaboldo, who went to film school, directed the music video. The clip features the Metzger brothers on a makeshift summer vacation. We see them having fun around a lavender field and beach with a giant inflatable flamingo, boats and bikes.

    Ryan Metzger told Billboard: "We had our girlfriends there. Our dad was there driving us around. It reminded us of 13 years ago when we used to make videos like this, but now we're doing it on a professional level."

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