“A Long December” (1996) Counting Crows

One of the best things about music is when you find that song that somehow says everything you’ve ever wanted to say, better than you could ever say it. For the month of September, I want to share some songs with you, some of my favorites; each one has spoken to me in a different way, and I know that if you really listen to the lyrics, they will speak to you as well. I’ll try to post a link to a Youtube video for each one, and I’ll share some thoughts about what I hear.



First up is “A Long December” by Counting Crows, which can be seen here A Long December. The video doesn’t really capture the song the way I see it, but it’s a great version if you haven’t heard it before. I love how eerie the music sounds, how it pulls you along as he sings about a friend in rehab. His words are sad, regretful as he thinks about the past and how he may have let her down, and yet he has hope for a brighter future:  “It’s been a long December and there’s reason to believe/Maybe this year will be better than the last/I can’t remember all the times I tried to tell myself/To hold on to these moments as they pass.”

My favorite line out of the whole song is “And all at once you look across a crowded room/To see the way that light attaches to a girl.” It’s funny how this one image is what always sticks out to me; it doesn’t capture the main point of the song, or apply to my life in any way. And yet it stops me every time I hear it. I can't help it. I’m intrigued by the idea of light attaching to a single person out of a crowd of many. Is that the moment he fell in love?