Blue (Da Ba Dee)

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"Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
Single by Eiffel 65
from the album Europop
B-side Remix
Released April 14, 1999 (USA)
28 June 1999 (Europe)
13 September 1999 (UK)
Format CD single, CD maxi
Recorded 1998
Genre Eurodance, Italo dance
Length 4:40 (album version)
3:40 (radio edit)
Label BlissCo Records
Writer(s) Jeffrey Jey, Maurizio Lobina, Massimo Gabutti
Producer Maurizio Lobina, Massimo Gabutti, Luciano Zucchet
Certification See certifications
Eiffel 65 singles chronology
"Blue (Da Ba Dee)"
(1998)		 "Move Your Body"
(1999)

"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (also released as "I'm Blue" in some countries) is a Eurodance song released in 1999 by Italian group Eiffel 65, as a single from their debut album Europop (1999).

The song is the group's most popular single, reaching number one in many countries such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, Norway, Australia, and Germany, as well as reaching No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.[1] In the United Kingdom, the song originally entered the Top 40 purely on import sales. It was only the third single to do this.[2]

The song also received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance Recording at the 2001 Grammy Awards.

Contents

Writing and production [edit]

Jeffrey Jey stated the song inspiration on how a person picked his lifestyle.

Blue, written by Eiffel 65 lead singer Jeffrey Jey, keyboardist Maurizio Lobina, and producer Massimo Gabutti, was inspired from group member Maurizio Lobina's composed opening piano hook. The producers of the song then came up with the idea for a dance song. Jey stated his inspiration for the lyrics were on how a person picked his lifestyle. The color blue as the main topic of the song was picked at random, with Lobina telling him to write nonsensical lyrics.[3] Lobina came up with the "da ba dee" hook at the end of this line.[4]

The song's distorted vocals were composed using a pitch shifter/harmonizer effect.[2] Due to the heavy beat and distorted nature of these vocals, it appears to the ear as an oronym, causing this specific line to be commonly misheard, as various websites show. One of the most commonly misheard versions is "if I was green I would die."[5][6][7] There has also been a noted similarity between the distorted vocals of "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", and those from "Believe" by Cher,[2] which were achieved with Auto-Tune.

Lyrics and composition [edit]
Eiffel 65 - "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", 1999
A 29-second sample from "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", featuring the distorted hook of the song.
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" is an uptempo dance-pop song, described by the band as "europop", hence the title of their debut album Europop, which the song comes from. The song carries a rather melodic sound with a bubblegum-pop influenced hook. The song is written in the key of G minor, with the vocal range spanning from C4 to E♭5,[8] and is set in Common time with a moderate tempo of 128 beats per minute.[9]

The song's lyrics tell a story about a man who lives in a "blue world". It is also stated he is "blue inside and outside," which, along with the lyric "himself and everybody around 'cause he ain't got nobody to listen", may indicate that the term blue represents his emotional state. The song also states that a vast variety of what he owns is also blue, including his house and his car; various blue-colored objects are also depicted on the single's cover.[10] The song's hook is the sentence "I'm blue", followed by a repetition of the words "da ba dee da ba di", which the hook is based around.

Critical reception [edit]

The song received mixed reviews from critics. Entertainment Weekly positively reviewed the song, calling the song "a fleeting, feel-good foot-tapper" and gave the song a rating of B-.[11] Sputnikmusic reviewer Dan Katz also reviewed the song positively, describing it as "a really great song." He noted the song has a "fairly cool bass line and a great piano loop set over a pulsing dance beat house the vocals that everyone knows." He also said while the vocals are not at its best, they fit the song well. He concluded his review of the song by describing it as "being the epitome of a good European dance track."[12] PopMatters reviewer Chris Massey, in his review of Europop, described his initial reaction to the song as being "really, really bad." However, he later stated in the review that after many repeated listenings of the song he "loved it."[13]

Rolling Stone, however, in their review of Europop, gave the song a negative review, stating that the song "blends Cher-esque vocoder vocals, trance-lite synth riffs, unabashed Eurodisco beats and a baby-babble chorus so infantile it makes the Teletubbies sound like Shakespeare." The magazine also placed the song on their list of the "20 Most Annoying Songs," reaching No. 14.[14]

Most recently, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the song at No. 41 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, stating that the entire song "is like one big ringtone that never... ever... ends. Answer the phone! Answer the phone!"[15]

Chart performance [edit]

The single, released in April 1999, was a chart-topper in many European countries. The song initially found success in France, where it debuted on the chart in June 1999 and reached number one in late August. It then found success in other European countries, reaching the top spot on many charts in September the same year, including Germany, the Netherlands,[16] Switzerland,[17] Sweden,[18] Norway and many other countries. It replaced "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega on many of these charts at the top spot.

The song also found success in other regions, including Oceania and North America: it reached number one in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. It became a top ten hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 6.

The song re-charted on May 6, 2013 at No. 40 in the U.K.,[19] the same week the song appeared in the film Iron Man 3.

Music video [edit]

Main article: Blue (Da Ba Dee) (music video)
Eiffel 65 on television screens during the opening segment of the video.

The music video for the song was released in 1999 by the BlissCoMedia, a computer graphics company of the Bliss Corporation, known at the time the video was produced and released as "BlissMultiMedia".[20] The video featured computer graphics done in 3ds Max,[21] and has Eiffel 65 members Maurizio Lobina and Gabry Ponte trying to save Jeffrey Jey from the aliens Zorotl and Sayok6.[22] The video was later uploaded to the BlissCoporation's official Youtube channel in 2009, where, as of May 11, 2013, it has more than 37,000,000 views.[23]

Cover versions and samplings [edit]

Appearances in other media [edit]

The song has appeared in multiple films and television series. It was included in films like Loser (2000), Big Fat Liar (2002) and Iron Man 3 (2013), this last during a flashback scene set in 1999, the year the song was released.[27] It has also been used in the episode "The F Word" of the television series Daria and in the episode "One Party Can Ruin Your Whole Summer" of the TV series 90210. On 15 March 2011 Ozone Entertainment released the song through the Rock Band Network. It is the first song on the service to incorporate the keyboard introduced in Rock Band 3.[28][29] The song appears in a 2012 TV advertisement for the Kia Optima, featuring Blake Griffin. In the ad, Blake travels back in time to 1999 and meets a ten-year-old version of himself in an arcade. He then urges the young Blake to play a basketball arcade game instead of a street racer one.

Formats and track listings [edit]

CD single
  1. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Blue Ice Pop Radio Edit) — 3:39
  2. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (DJ Ponte Ice Pop Mix) — 6:26
  3. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Glamour Jump Mix) — 5:19
  4. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Dub Mix) — 4:48
CD maxi-single
  1. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Blue Ice Pop Radio Edit) — 3:39
  2. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (DJ Ponte Ice Pop Mix) — 6:26
  3. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Hannover Remix) — 6:24
  4. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Dub Mix) — 4:48
  5. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Ice Pop Instrumental Mix) — 6:27
  6. "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" (Blue Paris Remix) — 7:42

Charts and sales [edit]

Peak positions [edit]

Chart (1999/2000) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[30] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[30] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[30] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[30] 2
Canada (RPM)[31] 1
Canada Dance (RPM)[32] 1
Denmark (Tracklisten)[30] 1
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 1
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[30] 1
France (SNEP)[30] 1
Germany (Media Control Charts)[33] 1
Ireland (IRMA)[34] 1
Italy (FIMI)[35] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] 1
New Zealand (RIANZ)[30] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[30] 1
Spain (AFYVE)[37] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 1
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 1
United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company)[38] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[31] 6
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[31] 6
U.S. Billboard Latin Pop Airplay[31] 16
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40[31] 4
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream[31] 2

End of year charts [edit]

End of year chart (1999) Position
Australia (ARIA)[39] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[40] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[41] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[42] 6
France (SNEP)[43] 4
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[36] 7
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[44] 2
UK Singles Chart[45] 2
End of year chart (2000) Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[46] 49

Certifications [edit]

Country Certification Date Sales
Australia[47] 3x Platinum 1999 210,000
Austria[48] Platinum 24 August 1999 30,000
Canada[49] Gold April 25, 2000 50,000
Finland[50] Gold 1999 7,957
France[51] Diamond 10 November 1999 750,000
Germany[52] 5× Gold 1999 1,250,000
Netherlands[53] Gold 1999 40,000
Sweden[54] 3x Platinum 8 October 1999 60,000
Switzerland[55] 2x Platinum 1999 100,000
United Kingdom[56] Platinum 8 October 1999 1,070,000[57]

Chart precession and succession [edit]

Order of precedence
Preceded by
"Tomber la chemise" by Zebda		 French SNEP number one single
7 August 1999 - 7 August 1999 - 21 August 1999		 Succeeded by
"Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega
Preceded by
"Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega		 Swiss number one single
22 August 1999 - 22 August 1999 - 24 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"So bist du (und wenn Du gehst...)" by Oli P.
Dutch Top 40 number one single
21 August 1999 - 4 September 1999 - 18 September 1999		 Succeeded by
"The Road Ahead (Miles of the Unknown)" by City to City
Belgian (Flanders) number one single
11 September 1999 - 21 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera
Irish IRMA number one single
18 September 1999 - 16 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"Flying Without Wings" by Westlife
Swedish number one single
2 September 1999 - 22 September 1999 - 21 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"The Bad Touch" by Bloodhound Gang
German number one single
13 August 1999 - 8 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"The Bad Touch" by Bloodhound Gang
Norwegian VG-lista number one single
18 September 1999 - 2 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"If I Let You Go" by Westlife
Finnish number-one single
18 September 1999 - 30 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"Torremolinos 2000" by Apulanta & Don Huonot
New Zealand RIANZ number one single
14 November 1999		 Succeeded by
"One & Only" by Deep Obsession
Australian number-one single
14 November 1999 - 16 January 2000		 Succeeded by
"I Try" by Macy Gray
Preceded by
"We're Going to Ibiza" by Vengaboys		 UK Singles Chart number one single
19 September 1999 - 3 October 1999		 Succeeded by
"Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera

References [edit]

  1. ^ Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Eiffel 65
  2. ^ a b c "Blue (Da Ba Dee)". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  3. ^ "Eiffel 65 - Book Eiffel 65 for your Corporate Events, Fund Raisers". Locoloboevents.com. Retrieved 2012-01-04. 
  4. ^ CANOE -- JAM! Music - Artists - Eiffel 65: The colour of money is Blue
  5. ^ misheard example #1 on youtube.com
  6. ^ misheard example #2 on youtube.com
  7. ^ misheard example #3 on songfacts.com
  8. ^ Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee) Sheet Music (Download and Print). Musicnotes.com. Accessed from April 28, 2013.
  9. ^ Dave's Music Database - Eiffel 65
  10. ^ prod-assets.mog.com - Eiffel 65 "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" single cover
  11. ^ Blue (Da Ba Dee) | Music Review |Entertainment Weekly
  12. ^ Eiffel 65 - Europop Review - sputnikmusic
  13. ^ Eiffel 65: Europop - PopMatters Music Review
  14. ^ 20 Most Annoying Songs by Rolling Stone.
  15. ^ Wilkening, Matthew (September 11, 2010). "100 Worst Songs Ever -- Part Three of Five". AOL Radio. Retrieved December 23, 2010. 
  16. ^ Dutchcharts.nl - 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
  17. ^ Hitparade.ch - Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
  18. ^ Swedishcharts.com - Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
  19. ^ BBC Radio 1 Charts. BBC. May 6, 2013. Accessed from May 6, 2013.
  20. ^ Blue: 10 anni, 10 milioni di download (In Italian). Blisscomedia.com. Accessed from May 11, 2013.
  21. ^ Renderfarm. Blisscomedia.com. Accessed from April 1, 2013.
  22. ^ Jeffrey-kidnapped. Zorotl.com. Accessed from April 1, 2013.
  23. ^ blisscoporation (September 9, 2009). Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee) (Original Video with subtitles). Youtube. Accessed from May 11, 2013.
  24. ^ "Max Raabe und Palast Orchester News, Bilder, Konzerte und Videos 2011 - Home". Palastorchester.de. Retrieved 2012-01-04. 
  25. ^ Sugar Songfacts
  26. ^ Break.com: Russian singer Natalie falls off stage
  27. ^ Iron Man 3 (Motion picture). Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 2013. 
  28. ^ Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eiffel 65 // Songs // Rock Band
  29. ^ First RBN 2.0 Song in the Store – “Blue” // Blog // Rock Band
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Blue (Da Ba Dee)", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  31. ^ a b c d e f Billboard allmusic.com (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  32. ^ Canadian dance peak
  33. ^ "Eiffel 65 singles, German Singles Chart" (in German). musicline. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  34. ^ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  35. ^ Top Italian Singles of 1999
  36. ^ a b "Single top 100 over 1999" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  37. ^ Billboard: Hits of the World, July 3, 1999
  38. ^ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  39. ^ "1999 Australian Singles Chart". aria. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  40. ^ "1999 Austrian Singles Chart" (in German). Austriancharts. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  41. ^ "1999 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  42. ^ "1999 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart" (in French). Ultratop. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  43. ^ "1999 French Singles Chart" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 28 April 2010. 
  44. ^ "1999 Swiss Singles Chart" (in German). Swisscharts. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
  45. ^ "1999 in British music". Wikipedia. Retrieved 24 December 2010. 
  46. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 2000". Retrieved 2010-08-31. 
  47. ^ Australian certifications aria.com (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  48. ^ Austrian certifications ifpi.at (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  49. ^ Canada certifications cria.ca (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  50. ^ Finnish certifications IFPI.fi (Retrieved September 21, 2010)
  51. ^ French certifications Disqueenfrance.com (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  52. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('Blue (Da Ba Dee)')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved December 12, 2008. 
  53. ^ Dutch certifications nvpi.nl (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  54. ^ Swedish certifications Ifpi.se (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  55. ^ Swiss certifications Swisscharts.com (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  56. ^ UK certifications Bpi.co.uk (Retrieved December 12, 2008)
  57. ^ Ami Sedghi (4 November 2012). "UK's million-selling singles: the full list". Guardian. Retrieved 4 November 2012. 

External links [edit]

Eiffel 65
Albums
EPs
Singles
Related articles
Bloom 06
Albums
Singles
EP
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