Mr. Electric Blue

Album: American Heart (2025)
Charted: 55 73
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Despite its cartoonish cool, "Mr. Electric Blue" has a deep, personal meaning for Benson Boone: It's about his dad.

    "Growing up, he was my ultimate superhero," Boone told Hits Radio in the UK. "Now that I'm older, I see him as the real human being he is, but he's still exceptional."

    The song, Boone emphasized, isn't meant to make you cry. It's not maudlin. It's celebratory. A musical high-five to a man who treated his wife and kids like royalty.
  • Built on a fizzy blend of 1970s pop-rock and glam, the track wears its influences loudly and proudly. Its swaggering, character-driven style is comparable to the likes of "Ziggy Stardust" (David Bowie), "Killer Queen" (Queen) and "Bennie And The Jets" (Elton John) - those classic songs that turn a curious persona into a cultural myth.

    The title nods to Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky," and the vibe is certainly in that universe: shiny and theatrical.
  • "Mr. Electric Blue" is a rollicking, retro-glam rock number that finds Boone describing his dad as a "good, hardworking American" with a mysterious, supernatural flair. You can see how Boone emulates this cool, electric guy who is also willing to put in the work.
  • Boone co-wrote the track with Jack Lafrantz and producer Evan Blair, the same team behind "Beautiful Things" and "Mystical Magical." Together they give "Mr. Electric Blue" a big, spark-spitting sound that matches the larger-than-life subject matter.
  • The music video, directed by frequent Imagine Dragons visual collaborator Matt Eastin, turns the myth into a meta-comedy. We see Boone addressing his internet reputation - industry plant, one-hit wonder, that sort of thing - by trying to raise $10 million for a fictional record label, performing odd jobs in the process.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tommy James

Tommy JamesSongwriter Interviews

"Mony Mony," "Crimson and Clover," "Draggin' The Line"... the hits kept coming for Tommy James, and in a plot line fit for a movie, his record company was controlled by the mafia.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Oliver Leiber

Oliver LeiberSongwriter Interviews

Oliver Leiber talks about writing and producing hits for Paula Abdul, and explains his complicated relationship with his father, the songwriter Jerry Leiber.

Rock Revenge Songs

Rock Revenge SongsMusic Quiz

John Lennon, Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd are some of the artists who have written revenge songs. Do you know who they wrote them about?

Gary Numan

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.