Superman

Album: The Speed of Now Part 1 (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Superman" is an upbeat track where Keith Urban recalls a past romance. Their love was so good it made him feel invincible, like a superhero.

    When I was with you, baby, I was Superman
    Yeah, we were sky high, there was nothing better


    Urban also compares their liaison to Johnny Cash's longtime relationship with June Carter.

    When I was with you, grabbin' that live wire
    Where we were Johnny and June in a ring of fire


    Urban explained in a press release that he wrote "Superman" metaphorically, but with some specific details in mind. "I like when listeners can put their own story, their own faces and their own characters into the song," he said, "and this one to me, is definitely one of those songs."
  • Craig Wiseman, one of Nashville's most sought-after country music writers, helped Urban write this song.
  • Urban co-produced the funky, electronic track with Captain Cuts. The Los Angeles-based production trio, comprising Ben Berger, Ryan McMahon and Ryan Rabin, also have credits on hit songs by Walk the Moon ("Shut Up And Dance"), Hailee Steinfeld ("Love Myself") and Bebe Rexha ("I Got You").

    The three Captain Cuts members also play on the tune.
  • The accompanying video shows Urban in rare form as a hand-drawn character in a flip book and then performing in front of colorful graphics. The singer enlisted Andymation to help create the animation.
  • Shot during the coronavirus pandemic, Urban wanted to do something fresh rather than resorting to a green-screen type performance video. The idea for the clip came out of a conversation with creative design artist Ben Dalgleish, who put together the singer's Vegas show.

    Urban recalled to Variety they were talking about the a-ha "Take On Me" promo and Dalgleish suggested, "What about a flipbook video?"

    Dalgleish hooked Urban up with Andymation, who has a popular channel on YouTube, and he started work on the concept. The singer did some filming at his Nashville warehouse where he stores all his equipment and has a big green-screen setup.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

Janet Jackson

Janet JacksonFact or Fiction

Was Janet secretly married at 18? Did she gain 60 pounds for a movie role that went to Mariah Carey? See what you know about Ms. Jackson.

Elton John

Elton JohnFact or Fiction

Does he have beef with Gaga? Is he Sean Lennon's godfather? See if you can tell fact from fiction in the Elton John edition.

Tony Joe White

Tony Joe WhiteSongwriter Interviews

The writer of "Rainy Night in Georgia" and "Polk Salad Annie" explains how he cooks up his Louisiana swamp rock.

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)

Mike Rutherford (Genesis, Mike + The Mechanics)Songwriter Interviews

Mike Rutherford talks about the "Silent Running" storyline and "Land Of Confusion" in the age of Trump.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.