1983

Album: Neon Trees (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the second single from Utah-based rock group Neon Trees debut album, Habits. It was the follow-up to their breakthrough song "Animal."
  • Frontman Tyler Glenn explained the inspiration for the song's music video to myYearbook: "The 1983 video is intentionally lo-fi. It's only intended as a viral video too. We thought that it captured a different type of '80s throwback. Obviously the song can't hide from the '80s thing, but really that song is more about return to innocence in love and in relationships. I thought the lo-fi VHS tape look was clever."
  • The song was titled after the year in which singer-keyboardist Tyler Glenn was born, but bassist Branden Campbell explained to Billboard magazine, it's "not about the '80s or pop culture or anything like that. It's about going back to an age of innocence in our lives where relationships were so much easier with younger siblings and family and how much everyone cares about each other and how easy it is, most of the time, for everyone to get along. It's about going back to that place in your life."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Glen Ballard

Glen BallardSongwriter Interviews

Glen Ballard talks about co-writing and producing Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill album, and his work with Dave Matthews, Aerosmith and Annie Lennox.

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired Men

David Bowie Leads the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Long-Haired MenSong Writing

Bowie's "activist" days of 1964 led to Ziggy Stardust.