Lonely Town

Album: The Desired Effect (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This E Street Band-inspired anthem is actually Flowers' take on The Police's "Every Breath You Take," which if you listen closely, you'll realize is about obsession rather than love. "It just feels like this breezy love song," Flowers told Radio.com. "But, if you wrote the lyrics down or listened to them a little more intently, it's actually pretty creepy."

    Flowers added regarding the seemingly harmless line, "When will you come home again?" "It sounds all nice, 'When will you come home again?,' but it's really scary. Someone saying, 'When will you come home again? Did you lock the door when it shut?' You know, those lines can mean a variety of things."
  • The throwback music video features a young woman dancing around her house to Flowers' music unaware that someone is watching her through the window.
  • This features percussion by Danielle Haim. The Haim band member told NME: "I asked to play drums on 'Lonely Town' as I loved the demo. I came up with the idea for the beat, reacting to what he already had."
  • Brandon Flowers told The Sun how Danielle Haim ended up playing drums on the track: "Danielle was around a lot as Ariel (Rechtshaid, The Desired Effect producer) is working on the new Haim record. We were playing a warm-up gig in San Francisco and I asked did she want to sing on a song? Ariel said she actually wants to play drums on 'On Top' (from Hot Fuss). I'd not played 'On Top' in years and I didn't even know she was a drummer. So I got the OK from Ronnie (Vannucci Jr, Killers drummer) and she was great. And on 'Lonely Town' she killed it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Sarah Brightman

Sarah BrightmanSongwriter Interviews

One of the most popular classical vocalists in the land is lining up a trip to space, which is the inspiration for many of her songs.

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Bass Player Scott Edwards

Bass Player Scott EdwardsSong Writing

Scott was Stevie Wonder's bass player before becoming a top session player. Hits he played on include "I Will Survive," "Being With You" and "Sara Smile."

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

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.