‘Midnight Blue’ is a song by American rock singer-songwriter Lou Gramm, issued as a 7" single in the United States in January 1987 by Atlantic Records. It was the lead-off single from Gramm's debut album, Ready or Not, released in February 1987. An extended remix of the song was available as a 12" single. Gramm wrote this song with Bruce Turgon, a longtime friend who was in an early band with Gramm called Black Sheep. In 1992, Turgon became the bass player in Foreigner, a position he held until Gramm left the band in 2003.
In a Songfacts interview with Lou Gramm, he explained that cherry red is "everything going as best as it can," while midnight blue is "dark and mysterious." On this track, he makes it clear that he is the darker shade, letting the girl know that he's going to forge his own path, and while they are split at the moment, he'll be coming back for her. It's a very unapologetic love song, as Gramm makes it clear that he doesn't regret the way he treated her, but is confident that everything will be cherry red once he decides to win her back.
In a contemporary review, Cash Box praised the single as being "riveting" and "triumphant." Bret Adams has described ‘Midnight Blue’ as "a terrific pop/rock song" on AllMusic. He has claimed that "despite its hit status, it's one of the decade's truly underappreciated singles". Stephen Thomas Erlewine, while reviewing the Foreigner retrospective collection Jukebox Heroes: The Foreigner Anthology (2000), has called the song "the last great single of the album-rock era".
The single peaked at number 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and spent five weeks on the top of the Mainstream Rock chart, starting on 14 February 1987. "Midnight Blue" has remained Gramm's highest-charting solo hit to date.
Label – Atlantic
Songwriters – Lou Gramm, Bruce Turgon
Producers – Pat Moran, Lou Gramm
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Ain't got no regrets
I ain't losin' track of which way I'm going
I ain't gonna double back, no
Don't want no misplay
Put on no display
An angel? No, but I know my way
Oh yeah, oh-oh
[Verse 2]
I used to follow, yeah, that's true
But my following days are over
Now I just gotta follow through
And I remember what my father said
He said, "Son, life is simple"
It's either cherry red
[Chorus]
Or midnight blue
Oh, oh
Midnight blue
Oh, oh
[Verse 3]
You were the restless one
And you did not care that
I was the trouble boy lookin' for a double dare
I won't apologize for the things I've done and said
But when I win your heart
I'm gonna paint it cherry red
I don't want to talk about it
What you do to me
I can't live without it
And you might think that it's much too soon
For us to go this far
[Chorus]
Into the midnight blue
Oh, oh
It's midnight blue
Oh, oh
[Bridge]
Now things could be different
That'd be a shame
'Cause I'm the one who can feel the sun
Right in the pouring rain
I won't say where and I don't know when
But soon there gonna come a day, baby
I'll be back again
Yeah, I'll be back for you
Uh-huh
You see, I'm saving up my love
[Outro]
Midnight blue
Oh, oh
Into the midnight blue
Oh, oh
Another midnight blue
Oh, oh
The deepest midnight blue
Oh
It's a midnight blue
Into the midnight blue
Oh, oh
Midnight blue
Oh, oh
Midnight blue
Oh, oh
The deepest midnight blue
Oh, oh
Into the midnight blue
Oh, oh