Bluer Than Blue by Michael Johnson

Album: Billboard (1978)

Charted: 12

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This breakup song points out the irony that losing his love will free the singer up for many things, but that none of them will bring much solace. It was written by Randy Goodrum, who also wrote "You Needed Me" and "Oh Sherrie." In our interview with Randy Goodrum, he told us: "It's a premise. I don't really relate to that personally in my life. I mean, 'Bluer Than Blue,' when I wrote that I'd never been left by anybody. Here's a way to imagine it: You know when you were a kid, and you'd go to a movie, and you'd see some guy, some hero or something, like if you saw The Great Escape with Steve McQueen, or saw Paul Newman in The Hustler. For 15 or 20 minutes after you left the theater, you kind of felt like that guy. You know, 'Yeah, I could do that. I can go learn pool.' So you feel a piece of that character that you've taken on, whether you know it or not, and you can develop that. And you know you've really done it well when you're just emotionally drained at the end of the experience, because you've really reached in and you've transferred some emotion from another part of yourself, and put a different set of clothes on it. Still drawing from your emotional gas tank, but you've just got a different face on it."

Comments: 7

Rob from DetroitI was going through major teenage angst in the summer of ‘78. This song was like a punch in the gut yet somehow helpful too. Thank you Michael.
Ryan Mcminn from Sequatchie TnI currently struggle to
Leave a toxic relationship we
Been broke up for a while but u keep trying to hang on when she won’t
Change I been listing to this song
A lot
Lately
Siahara Shyne Carter from United States"BLUER THAN BLUE SADDER THAN SAD"

I could relate!

but I stay postive in Everyday ;) +_+
Barry from Sauquoit, NyPer: http://www.oldiesmusic.com/news.htm {07-27-2017}
Michael Johnson, best remembered for his 1978 hit, "Bluer Than Blue" (#12), died Tuesday (July 25th, 2017*) after what was termed 'a long illness' (he had a quadruple heart bypass performed ten years ago and had suffered from emphysema), he was 72...
Born in Alamosa, Colorado, Michael was raised in Denver and studied classical guitar in Spain in 1966. That led to a stint in the Chad Mitchell Trio (with John Denver-- who later formed another trio with Michael). He left in 1969, and after a stint in musical theatre, started a solo career in Minneapolis/St. Paul in 1971. Signing with Atlantic Records, he released "On The Road" for their ATCO subsidiary in 1973. It 'bubbled under' at #118 on the charts. A switch to EMI America brought him success with "Bluer Than Blue", which was followed by four more chart singles, including "Almost Like Being In Love" (#32-1978) and "This Night Won't Last Forever" (#19-1979). When his pop hits dried up he moved to Nashville, where he had success with "Give Me Wings" (#1 Country-1987) and "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder" (#1 Country-1987). In 2009, he returned to the Twin Cities to be near a daughter given up for adoption 40 years earlier. He continued to perform in the upper midwest until recently, when he was forced to cancel concerts because of his ill health.
May he R.I.P.
* Exactly 39 years earlier on July 25th, 1978 "Bluer Than Blue" was at #21 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; twenty-five days earlier on July 2nd it had peaked at #12 {for 2 weeks} and it spent 16 weeks on the Top 100.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 16th 1978, "Bluer Than Blue" by Michael Johnson entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #94; and on July 2nd it peaked at #12 (for 2 weeks) and spent 16 weeks on the Top 100...
And on June 11th it reached #1 (for 3 weeks) on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Tracks chart...
Mr. Johnson will celebrate his 70th birthday this coming August 8th.
Brian from Saint Leo, FlIn 1983, Michael Johnson released an album titled lifetime guarantee. Another great break-up song was an album track on that album called "I'm Gone".
Terry from Chicago, IlOne of my favorites

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