"Start Wearing Purple" is a song by

gypsy punk Gypsy punk is a hybrid musical genre that combines traditional Romani and Eastern European folk music with punk rock, and is considered a subgenre of the wider label of folk punk. One of the first rock groups to incorporate elements of punk a ...

band

Gogol Bordello Gogol Bordello is an American punk rock band from the Lower East Side of Manhattan, formed in 1999 by musicians from all over the world and known for theatrical stage shows and persistent touring. Much of the band's sound is inspired by Roma ...

, written by frontman Eugene Hütz. The song was packaged as a double single along with " Sally", and released as the band's second single in February 2006. It appears on their third album '' Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike''. This version is a re-recording of the initial one which was featured in the band's first album, 1999's ''

Voi-La Intruder ''Voi-La Intruder'' is the debut album by Gogol Bordello. It was released in 1999 by Rubric Records. Track listing Notes The album is composed in two Movements. *Tracks 1-10 are Movement One - Songs of Immigration, appx. 35.01 min. *Tra ...

''. It also appears in the soundtrack for the 2005 film ''

Everything Is Illuminated ''Everything Is Illuminated'' is the first novel by the American writer Jonathan Safran Foer, published in 2002. It was adapted into a film of the same name starring Elijah Wood and Eugene Hütz in 2005. The book's writing and structure rece ...

'', in which Hütz stars as Alex. The song was later featured in the 2024 animated television series ''

Creature Commandos The Creature Commandos are the name of several military special forces groups appearing in American comic book, American comic books published by DC Comics. Co-created by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Pat Broderick, the team first appeared i ...

''.

Music video

The video starts with Hütz wearing ladies shoes, and singing and dancing in the streets. This is followed by images of the band and many people dancing around while consuming copious amounts of alcohol.

Composition

Hütz said in an interview, "It's one of the very few songs I wrote for a girl. I just moved in with my girlfriend in New York. We had a neighbour: an old woman who was always dressed in purple head to toe. She was clearly bonkers. So whenever my girlfriend and I had an argument and she would start screaming at me, I would say: you might as well start wearing purple now".

Cover versions

* Covered live by Vernian Process * Covered by the

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

Pep Band, its full marching band Marching Royal Dukes,Archived a
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and has become a ''de facto'' team song at

James Madison Dukes The James Madison Dukes are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams that represent James Madison University (JMU), in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The name "Dukes" is derived from Samuel Page Duke, the university's se ...

sporting events. * Has become a ''de facto'' team song of

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

team

Orlando City SC Orlando City Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Orlando, Florida. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Owned by Zygi, Leonard, and Mark Wilf, it is the sister club of ...

References

{{Authority control Gogol Bordello songs 2006 singles 2005 songs Song recordings produced by Steve Albini Macaronic songs Songs about clothing Purple