Blue Blood Blues

Album: Sea of Cowards (2010)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the second single from The Dead Weather's sophomore album, Sea of Cowards. The record came together surprisingly quickly, with the songs mostly conceived during the quartet's 2009 tour dates.

    "We started writing it at sound checks. It just started happening by itself again," vocalist Alison Mosshart told Spinner UK. "We never talk about these things; they just seem to happen. Then we'd have a couple of days off here and there in Nashville and just go into the studio because it's the most exciting thing to do [there]. We'd record and suddenly we had another record again."
  • This song talks about the negation of self that often happens when caught up in an all-consuming affair. Mosshart writes the band's lyrics, which she tends to make up on the spot. She told Artist Direct how she penned the words for the songs on Sea of Cowards: "The boys are playing music. We're in a room together, and everything's moving at such a fast speed. They're coming up with parts, and a song develops. I'm standing there in front of a mic and I've got to catch up or keep up. The words just come from that. I'm inspired by the music. The music's heavier so maybe the words are too. I've written everything by looking around the room at the three of them - kind of being blown away and trying to do their music justice."
  • Jack White, the band's drummer and producer, explained the album title Sea of Cowards to Spinner: "The title came about because the lyrics on the album had a lot to do with cowardice. It was an idea that kept on popping up when I was listening to the mixdown. I was explaining to Alison that since a lot of the themes of the songs are about cowardice, maybe we should have the word 'coward' in the title of the album."
  • The single release of this song was made available as a "triple decker record," a new format designed by Jack White with the United Record Pressing Nashville company. The TDR is a 12-inch record with a 7-inch record in the middle (containing a previously unreleased Dead Weather track). White explained: "It might require a Swiss Army Knife or screw driver [to open]. It's one of the many mind games we like to play with you at Third Man records."

    If you own a copy of the special format you've done well, as only 300 were made.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.