Blue Bayou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids "Blue Bayou"
Single by Roy Orbison
from the album In Dreams
B-side	"Mean Woman Blues"
Released	August 1, 1963 (1963-08-01)
Recorded	November 1961
Studio	RCA Studio B
Genre	Country pop
Length	2:29
Label	Monument
Songwriter(s)	Roy Orbison Joe Melson
Producer(s)	Fred Foster
Roy Orbison singles chronology
"Falling" (1963) "Blue Bayou" (1963) "Pretty Paper" (1963)

"Blue Bayou" is a famous song written by American musicians Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. Roy Orbison first sang and recorded it, making it a big international hit in 1963. Later, Linda Ronstadt also had a huge hit with her version in 1977. Many other artists have sung "Blue Bayou" since then.

Roy Orbison's Original Song

How "Blue Bayou" Was Released

Roy Orbison first recorded "Blue Bayou" in late 1961. In the United Kingdom, it was released as a "double A-side" song with "Mean Woman Blues". Both songs became very popular, reaching number 3 on the music charts.

In the United States, "Blue Bayou" was released as the B-side to "Mean Woman Blues". Even as a B-side, "Blue Bayou" reached number 29 on the charts. The song was also included on Orbison's 1963 album, In Dreams.

Song Details

7-inch Vinyl Record

US: Monument Records 824

Side one

1. "Blue Bayou" (Roy Orbison, Joe Melson) – 2:29 – Recorded in late 1961.

Side two

1. "Mean Woman Blues" (Claude Demetrius) – 2:23

How Well the Song Did on Charts

This table shows how high Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou" reached on different music charts around the world in 1963.

This table shows how well the song did by the end of 1963.

"Blue Bayou" in Movies and TV Shows

The song "Blue Bayou" has been used in several movies and TV shows, including:

• The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), starring David Bowie
• Last Orders (2001)
• Dreamcatcher (2003)
• Man on Fire (2004)
• The Best of Enemies (2019), starring Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell

Famous ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau used a shorter version of the song in an episode about the Mississippi River. The song was also featured in the Netflix series Stranger Things (Season 2, Episode 6).

Linda Ronstadt's Version

"Blue Bayou"
German 7" single
Single by Linda Ronstadt
from the album Simple Dreams
B-side	Depending on the country of release, this side would either be reserved for the songs "Old Paint", "Love Me Tender, "Maybe I'm Right, or "Poor Poor Pitiful Me".
Released	August 23, 1977 (August 23, 1977) (US)
Genre	Country pop, soft rock, yacht rock
Length	3:57
Label	Asylum
Songwriter(s)	Roy Orbison, Joe Melson
Producer(s)	Peter Asher
Linda Ronstadt singles chronology
"Lose Again" (1976) "Blue Bayou" (1977) "It's So Easy" (1977)

How Linda Ronstadt's Version Became Popular

Linda Ronstadt's version of "Blue Bayou" became a huge hit in late 1977. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed there for four weeks. It also reached number 2 on the Country music charts and number 3 on the Easy Listening charts.

The song sold over 1 million copies in the US, earning a "Gold" award in January 1978. Later, it sold over 2 million copies and received a "Platinum" award. Don Henley from the band Eagles sang backup vocals on this recording.

Linda Ronstadt's "Blue Bayou" was nominated for two major awards: the Grammy Award for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Other Versions and Appearances

Linda Ronstadt also recorded a Spanish version of the song called "Lago Azul (Blue Bayou)" in 1978. She performed "Blue Bayou" on The Muppet Show in 1980.

Because of this song, a baseball term was created. When a pitcher throws a very fast pitch, it's sometimes called a "Linda Ronstadt" because the ball "blew by you."

Ronstadt's version of the song was also used in the 2017 movie American Made.

Song Details

7-inch Vinyl Record

US: Asylum Records E-45431

Side one

1. "Blue Bayou" (Roy Orbison, Joe Melson) – 3:57

Side two

1. "Old Paint (traditional, arranged by Linda Ronstadt) – 3:05

How Well the Song Did on Charts

This table shows how high Linda Ronstadt's "Blue Bayou" reached on different music charts between 1977 and 1978.

This table shows how well the song did by the end of 1978.

Other Famous Versions of "Blue Bayou"

Many other artists have recorded "Blue Bayou" besides Roy Orbison and Linda Ronstadt. Some of these include:

• Dutch singer Piet Veerman and the New Cats (1980)
• Swiss, a reggae singer from New Zealand (2012)
• Alisan Porter, winner of The Voice (2016), sang it during her audition.
• Rick Price and Jack Jones covered it on their album California Dreaming (2017).
• Karli Webster, a contestant on The Voice (2017).
• Harry Dean Stanton performed the song in his movie Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction.
• Chris de Burgh performed the song on his album Footsteps 2 (2011).
• Hawaiian singer/guitarist Robi Kahakalau recorded it in a Hawaiian style on her 2010 album All I Want is All You Need.
• Kelly Clarkson covered this song on her show The Kelly Clarkson Show (2020).

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics