The disappointment of having to leave but the hope that something else could happen: “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.” Then the triumphant hook hits like a moment of clarity.
The overall tone of the song is bittersweet. Then the lullaby-like piano line comes in, like the ticking of a clock, and Wilson sings “Closing time”… How did it get so late? The opening section bubbles with anticipation the guitar strains are quiet and yet driving, pushing the listener toward something. Even “Closing Time” carries a theme much closer to the human condition than drinking – as blasphemous as that sounds.Īnalyzed through the lens of a gin-soaked shot glass, “Closing Time” sonically captures the chaotic emotion that goes along with last call.
Semisonic closing time lyrics meaning full#
Thematically, the album cycles through different stages of a relationship and is full of double meanings. Along with the pristine acoustic riffs, there are string sections, crunchy guitars, and a plinking piano set to a steady backbeat, as you can hear on “Singing In My Sleep.” The instrumentation one Feeling Strangely Fine is surprisingly diverse, extending far beyond what you’d expect from the group’s trio set-up. The band capitalized on the expert musicianship of their former group and paired it with tightly crafted melodies. Semisonic had risen from the ashes of Wilson’s former psychedelic quartet from Minneapolis, Trip Shakespeare, bringing along bassist John Munson and becoming a power-pop trio with percussionist Jacob Slichter. So much of what set Semisonic apart from typical late 90s radio fare is the intimacy of frontman Dan Wilson’s songwriting and his radiant vocals. But while “Closing Time” is a call to action for the bleary-eyed barfly, the tune and album itself is more than just alehouse anthems. When Feeling Strangely Fine was released, on March 24, 1998, “Closing Time”’s ascent to complete radio dominance was swift and efficient, spending 25 weeks on the Adult Alternative Song charts and peaking at No.4 in May 1998.
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