Pink Turns to Blue

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"Pink Turns to Blue"
Song by Hüsker Dü
from the album Zen Arcade
ReleasedJuly 1984
RecordedOctober 1983
Genre
Length2:39
LabelSST
Songwriter(s)Grant Hart
Producer(s)Hüsker Dü, Spot

"Pink Turns to Blue" is a song by American

Pitchfork
.

Background and composition

"Pink Turns to Blue" was written by Grant Hart and recorded in one take, as were the majority of songs on the album. The song examines the devastating effects of drug addiction. Lyrics such as "No more rope and too much dope, she's lying on the bed/Angels pacing, gently placing roses 'round her head," describe the

overdose of the protagonist's friend.[1]

Release and reception

The song was released to critical acclaim;

The Los Angeles Times's Michael Leyland praised the "haunting" melody.[5] David Fricke of Rolling Stone called it an "icy death lament".[6]

Pitchfork named "Pink Turns to Blue" one of the 500 best songs in the history of punk rock.[3] In its countdown of the 200 best songs of the 1980s, Treble magazine ranked the song #143. Treble's Chris Karman justified the ranking by noting that the song "is the perfect encapsulation of what made Hüsker Dü stand out from their peers." By being "one of (the) first bands to truly mix hardcore's serrated riffs with pop song smarts, Hüsker Dü essentially provided a blueprint for pop-punk's evolution." He criticized the recording as being "a little thin, but everything else about it, right down to its melancholic tone, is practically a perfect prediction of the approach that would be adopted by many early '90s alternative bands."[2] Toby Creswell said "Pink Turns to Blue" was one of the 1001 greatest songs ever recorded.[7] German post-punk band Pink Turns Blue was named after the song.[8]

Other versions

In 1993, "Pink Turns to Blue" was covered by The Blue Up? on Du Huskers: The Twin Cities Replays Zen Arcade.[9] Richmond Fontaine covered the song on their 2006 album Obliteration by Time.[10] The song was included on the compilation CD Gimme Indie Rock, Vol. 1.[11] In 2023, Shinyribs included a cover of "Pink Turns to Blue" on their album Transit Damage.[12]

Notes

  1. ^
    Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "The Top 200 Songs of the '80s: Part One". Treble. February 13, 2011. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-1416562023
    .
  4. ^ Palmer, Robert (September 23, 1984). "New Rock from the Suburbs". The New York Times.
  5. ^ Leyland, Michael (October 7, 1984). "Iron Maiden Keeps Its Heavy Metal Supple". Los Angeles Times. p. X81.
  6. ^ Fricke, David (February 14, 1985). "Hüsker Dü Zen Arcade > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 441. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2007.
  7. ^ Creswell 2006, p. 434
  8. ^ Sheppard, Oliver (9 September 2016). "Pink Turns Blue - An Interview with German Darkwave Pioneers". CVLT Nation. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  9. Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  10. Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  11. Rovi Corporation
    . Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  12. ^ Horowitz, Hal (2023-07-12). "Review: Shinyribs Gets Serious on 'Transit Damage'". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2023-07-17.

References

  • Creswell, Toby (2006). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time and the Artists, Stories and Secrets Behind Them. Da Capo Press.
    ISBN 1560259159
    .
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