Swingin Party
| "Swingin Party" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Replacements | |
| Published | 1985 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:53 |
| Songwriter(s) | Paul Westerberg |
| Producer(s) | Tommy Ramone |
"Swingin Party" is a song written by Paul Westerberg and recorded by his band The Replacements for their fourth studio album Tim (1985). The song is an indie rock and rock and roll ballad with influences from jazz, country and new wave. Lyrically, it portrays the protagonist's "feigned nonchalance". It was well received by music critics, who praised Westerberg's songwriting talent. The song has been covered by other artists, notably Kindness in 2009 and Lorde in 2013.
"Swingin Party" was written by Paul Westerberg and produced by Tommy Ramone, and was recorded by The Replacements. It is an indie rock and rock and roll ballad with influences from jazz, country and new wave. It features staccato chords instrumented by electric guitar. According to Bill Janovitz from AllMusic, the song climbs scales in a way reminiscent of "Somethin' Stupid" by Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra (1967). The lyrics are introspective, and portray the protagonist's "feigned nonchalance". Writing for Spin, editor J.D. opined that the song's theme is "literary reflections" as Westerberg sings, "Quttin' school and goin' to work and never goin' fishin'". According to Tim Holmes of Rolling Stone, the song's theme is that "life is a lilting series of ultimately empty, but nonetheless compulsory, soirees", while Robert Hilburn from the Los Angeles Times wrote that the song is "about loneliness and youthful insecurity". In an interview for the Los Angeles Times, Westerberg said: "One of the reasons we used to drink so much is that it was scary going up on stage. That's one of the things 'Swingin' Party' is all about on the album ... how it is a little frightening to put yourself on display all the time."
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