Casual Party

Album: Why Are You OK (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song finds frontman Ben Bridwell singing about being tied up in "awful conversation" at a casual party. He details his attempt to leave the boring social engagement. When Bridwell is back home in Charleston, South Carolina with his family, plenty of such gatherings await. "I'm not sitting there trying to grow up by any means," he told MTV News. "I forget that I'm supposed to, until something like a damn f--king dinner party shows up, or I have to do something stupid."

    He added, smiling: "Uh, that's not nice."
  • The song is the lead single from Band Of Horses fifth album, Why Are You OK. The record title is taken from a mistyped e-mail sent by Ben Bridwell's daughter to a teacher. He told NME: "I remember thinking it was funny as s--t that she sent that to my kid's teacher. She was three at the time and just typed in some garbage to my wife's phone and it happened to be a reply to one of the teachers. And it's 'why are you OK' without any punctuation. I was like 'what an interesting statement or question.'"

    Asked by NME why he felt the title was right for this album Bridwell replied: "For lack of a better answer, her older sister Annabelle, I had a song for her on our third record called 'For Annabelle'. Ivy is the second oldest and she's like 'when's my song dad?' They know barely what I do. I was like 'good question, but again I don't write like that'. I couldn't if you asked me to, but I know her time's coming. They all go into it so much - it's like 'if only I could explain to you how many lyrics you're a part of.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Richard Marx

Richard MarxSongwriter Interviews

Richard explains how Joe Walsh kickstarted his career, and why he chose Hazard, Nebraska for a hit.

Commercials

CommercialsFact or Fiction

Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream?

John Doe of X

John Doe of XSongwriter Interviews

With his X-wife Exene, John fronts the band X and writes their songs.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Loreena McKennitt

Loreena McKennittSongwriter Interviews

The Celtic music maker Loreena McKennitt on finding musical inspiration, the "New Age" label, and working on the movie Tinker Bell.