One of my all-time favorites from the early days of 49 Winchester.
“Blue Ribbon Blues” is a highly-underrated hangover heartbreak anthem from their self-titled debut album from 2014. They gave the song a moment in the limelight during their 2019 Red Barn Radio session.
If there is one thing 49 Winchester does well is highlighting their whole discography at shows or during performances. They aren’t afraid to dig some oldies out of the archives, and I live for it.
“This is one of the few really old ones. When we first got together and started playing music, we wrote this song; I think on this porch that they now play music out of this little burger joint called Maws and Paws.
It’s basically about– not feeling good in the morning.
Whatever you did, that’s just up for interpretation…I don’t know what the radio laws are.”
Says lead singer Isaac Gibson.
The “Blue Ribbon Blues” often hit after crushing a few blue ribboned cans, but the lyrics also address sometimes coping through heartbreak with a bottle.
The soulful blues start of the song is the perfect hook to draw the listener in before they pick up the tempo in the second part of the first verse.
Gibson delivers the lyrics with deep grit and soul, and the remainder of the band has a blast supporting the melody. They are a well-oiled machine when they play together, feeding off of each other’s energy.
This is one of my favorite throwback videos of 49’s to watch. “Blue Ribbon Blues” is a hidden gem in their track list, and I love that they brought it out on the historic Red Barn Radio stage.