Snapback

Album: Meat and Candy (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the opening track of Old Dominion's Meat and Candy album. The Boot asked the group how they came up with the disc's title. Drummer Whit Sellers replied: "There's lots of songs on there that are fun, sing-a-long, catchy songs, and then there are others that have a bit more meat to it. It sounds worse than it is; it's not that clever actually."

    Vocalist Matthew Ramsey added: "We literally were having the conversation, and someone just said, 'There's a lot of candy songs. Just kind of balance it out with the meat.'"
  • This song finds Old Dominion falling for a girl who is wearing a snapback cap. "That's a song that has the meat and the candy to it," bass guitarist Geoff Sprung told Rolling Stone: "I feel like we can point our finger at the tracklist and I'd be happy with any one of them being a single. They have a through-line, but they're all different. The thing with song-writing is you're always trying to say the same thing but in a new way."
  • Snapback is an urban slang term for an adjustable flat brim baseball cap, which are popular in the hip-hop community. They are called a "snapback" because the back of the hat can be adjusted with different settings of the snaps.

    Some lyrical examples of snapbacks:

    "Usual Suspects" by Hollywood Undead ("Cruise through your valley and I'm snatchin' your snapback. Huffin' on some paint and I think that I'm half black.")

    "Snapbacks & Tattoos" by Driicky Graham (Snapbacks and tattoos. Nice whips, fly chicks. All that cause cash rules.")

    "king Wizard" by Kid Cudi ("Cleveland City snakeskin snapback. Ni--as know that uniform, keep the brim low.")

    "New Eyes" by Clean Bandit ("GRRRL PRTY is the label on my snapback. Doin' worldwide shows in a black hat.")
  • The song came out of a songwriting session in the back of Old Dominion's bus during early 2015. Guitarist Brad Tursi recalled to Billboard magazine: "I had a drum beat going and that keyboard sound, and the rest of the guys - Matt and [guitarist] Trevor [Rosen] - started coming back and were just kind of like, 'Oh, that sounds cool. What is that?' Matt had the title 'Snapback,' and then we just kind of worked it from there."
  • The song's music was shot by movie director Steve Condon (Gone Like the Night). The clip centers around a Los Angeles skater girl, who naturally is wearing a snapback hat. She is Leticia Bufoni, a Brazilian professional skater, who is now located in Newport Beach, California.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jon Foreman of Switchfoot

Jon Foreman of SwitchfootSongwriter Interviews

Switchfoot's frontman and main songwriter on what inspires the songs and how he got the freedom to say exactly what he means.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Andy McClusky of OMD

Andy McClusky of OMDSongwriter Interviews

Known in America for the hit "If You Leave," OMD is a huge influence on modern electronic music.