Linda Ronstadt – ‘Blue Bayou’ from Simple Dreams

It reminded me of New Orleans, because there’s a bayou down there, and when I first heard this song I had never been, and in my mind I don’t really know exactly what it’s about, but in my mind I started dreaming of one day I’m going to go down to the bayou, and I had this romantic notion of going to, as they call it, New Orleans, and it was always a fantasy place for me and it’s connected – yes, I understand Cajun music and Zydeco and all that wonderful rich history of swamp music, and I’ve grown to love that music, but this was the song that made me dream of going to New Orleans one day. So I’ve always had it associated with that, as you say, velvety bourbon voice of hers that’s just delicious, and so dreamy at the same time. And when I did get to New Orleans of course you know I’m singing Blue Bayou in the show! I think songs are sonic time-machines, I really think so.