Cigarette

Album: El Rio (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Frankie Ballard recorded this Kip Moore, Chris Stapleton and Jaren Johnston penned song for his El Rio album. He told CMT News: "We're all good friends, and we've all been writing songs and trying to make something coming out of Nashville. And I'm proud to be the person that got to record this song and put it on an album. I just hope that I did it justice. I know I wrenched on it as hard and as long as I could to get it where it is. But we'll see what happens with that tune. The future is still wide open with that song."
  • Ballard recorded a video to accompany the song featuring a blonde dancer on a pole. He explained to Taste of Country: "That song is about lust. Some people try to bundle up with love and really lust is a different thing. It's an 'L' word but it's a different thing. That's why we went that way in the video with the dancers."
  • Co-writer Kip Moore was inspired to write this song when he saw the lipstick that a woman had left on her cigarette. Moore explained to CMT News that he had taken a smoke break during his songwriting session with Chris Stapleton and Jaren Johnston when "a fairly attractive girl put out a cigarette right beside me."

    He added: "I saw the lipstick around the butt, and I just started singing that chorus in my head."

    Moore returned to the songwriting session inspired. "I sang some of the chorus immediately, and they both loved it," he recalled. "I was kind of playing the guitar riff. Then Jaren spruced it up, and it just took off. Chris jumped on the melody, and it just became a really cool collaboration that day. We all had a blast writing that song."
  • Moore admits to "a little bit of regret on my part" for not recording the song himself on his Wild Ones album. He said: "I had a lot of songs to choose from on my plate. I think I had written so many new songs that those kind of took precedence over that song. But I've always loved it. I'm glad to see an artist like Frankie do it justice."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions Answered

Why Does Everybody Hate Nu-Metal? Your Metal Questions AnsweredSong Writing

10 Questions for the author of Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.

Grunge Bands Quiz

Grunge Bands QuizMusic Quiz

If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."