Massachusetts

The story behind

When the Gibb brothers composed Massachusetts, they had never set foot in that state. The idea arose at the Regis Hotel in New York, during a tour of the United States. They sought to create something opposite to the peace and love songs of the era, such as Let's Go to San Francisco. The lyrics imagined someone traveling to San Francisco looking to join the hippies, but ending up feeling nostalgic. The image of the lights being out in Massachusetts suggested that everyone had gone to San Francisco. Barry recalls being in the hotel as the luggage arrived, feeling euphoric about being in New York, and thus the song was born. Robin, for his part, has the memory of composing it on a boat going around the city.