Barcelona

Album: Power (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was a big moment for Twin Atlantic during the making of Power. It was the first time they'd succeeded in coming up with a big anthemic pop sound, something they'd aspired to for the project.
  • Barcelona is a great choice for a romantic getaway. Many Scottish couples spend their first holiday together in the city, which inspired the lyric. Frontman Sam McTrusty explained to The Sun:

    "It's written as if you were flicking through a screenplay giving you little vignettes and glimpses of the everyday elements of love. I've done a lot of themes around the idea of sadness or loneliness that love can leave in its wake but this was one of the first times where new love and happiness felt OK to write about. You can get a cheap flight from Glasgow to Barcelona dead easy so I threw that city name in as a little nod to the real test of love – the first holiday away together."
  • Other songs about Spain's second biggest city include:

    Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe's "Barcelona."

    Ed Sheeran's "Barcelona."

    Counting Crows' "Holiday In Spain."
  • Sam McTrusty came up with the concept for the music video, which was shot by Klaas Diersmann in Kildare, Ireland. The singer explained he'd been "inspired by the unique visage shots in films like Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind as I felt that these would be the best way to portray the kaleidoscopic, vignette style writing I used for the lyrics."

    Diersmann added, "The song feels like an intimate story revealing the reality of a relationship. I envisioned the couple in a beautiful yet eerie landscape, which took us to the wilds of Ireland. This enabled us to contrast their emotional entrapment within their relationship and their memories with this almost other-worldly wide open space."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Prince

PrinceFact or Fiction

Prince is shrouded in mystery, making him an excellent candidate for Fact or Fiction. Is he really a Scientologist? Does he own an exotic animal?

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s Edition

Songs in Famous Movie Scenes: '80s EditionMusic Quiz

You know the scenes - Tom Cruise in his own pants-off dance off, Molly Ringwald celebrating her birthday - but do you remember what song is playing?

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)

Graham Bonnet (Alcatrazz, Rainbow)Songwriter Interviews

Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.

P.F. Sloan

P.F. SloanSongwriter Interviews

P.F. was a teenager writing hits and playing on tracks for Jan & Dean when he wrote a #1 hit that got him blackballed.

Def Leppard Quiz

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."