Closing Time (Semisonic song)
Encyclopedia
"Closing Time" is the title of a song by American alternative rock
band Semisonic
. It was released in March 1998 as the lead single from their album Feeling Strangely Fine
. One of the band's most popular songs, it was written by Dan Wilson
and produced by Nick Launay
. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
in 1999. It reached number-one on the Modern Rock Tracks
.
indicates that the song was written partly in response to the anxious, and at times precarious, state of the band during the opening of Wilson's new bar, The Rehab Lounge, which closed in late 2008; however, Slichter has also indicated that the song was written by Wilson "in anticipation of fatherhood", and that it is about "being sent forth from the womb as if by a bouncer clearing out a bar".
The memorable line repeated throughout the song's stanzas, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" is often mistakenly attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger
.
. It features two continuous shots, running side by side on the screen. One side shows the band playing the song in a rehearsal space. The other side features a woman (played by Denise Franco), who is playing the part of the singer Dan Wilson's girlfriend. As the video progresses, Dan and his girlfriend switch sides of screen, as they attempt to meet up. At the end of the video, they both wind up at the same nightclub. However, they still end up missing each other by mere seconds and never meet up. The "trick" of the video is that each shot was done as one long, continuous shot, with no cuts or editing, and therefore relies on proper timing during the filming to get the two sides of the video lined up properly.
's 1999 album Running with Scissors.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Semisonic
Semisonic
Semisonic is an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1995. The band consisted of three members: Dan Wilson , John Munson , and Jacob Slichter...
. It was released in March 1998 as the lead single from their album Feeling Strangely Fine
Feeling Strangely Fine
Feeling Strangely Fine is the follow-up by Semisonic to 1996's Great Divide recorded at Seedy Underbelly Studio, Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band had over 60 new songs in mind as they went into the recording process and had three specific requirements when they decided they wanted to record a new...
. One of the band's most popular songs, it was written by Dan Wilson
Dan Wilson (musician)
Daniel Dodd "Dan" Wilson is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, Grammy-winning songwriter and producer...
and produced by Nick Launay
Nick Launay
Nick Launay is an English record producer and recording engineer. He is currently one of the most sought after producers in the world due to his current success with recent albums by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...
. The song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
in 1999. It reached number-one on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
.
Interpretation
The book So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star (ISBN 0-7679-1470-8) by Semisonic's drummer Jacob SlichterJacob Slichter
Jacob Slichter is an American musician. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in African American studies and history...
indicates that the song was written partly in response to the anxious, and at times precarious, state of the band during the opening of Wilson's new bar, The Rehab Lounge, which closed in late 2008; however, Slichter has also indicated that the song was written by Wilson "in anticipation of fatherhood", and that it is about "being sent forth from the womb as if by a bouncer clearing out a bar".
The memorable line repeated throughout the song's stanzas, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" is often mistakenly attributed to the Roman philosopher Seneca the Younger
Seneca the Younger
Lucius Annaeus Seneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to emperor Nero...
.
Music video
The music video was directed by Chris ApplebaumChris Applebaum
Chris Applebaum is an American music video director, who has worked with a diverse range of artists, among them Rihanna, Hilary Duff, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Mandy Moore, Natasha Bedingfield, Fountains of Wayne and Britney Spears...
. It features two continuous shots, running side by side on the screen. One side shows the band playing the song in a rehearsal space. The other side features a woman (played by Denise Franco), who is playing the part of the singer Dan Wilson's girlfriend. As the video progresses, Dan and his girlfriend switch sides of screen, as they attempt to meet up. At the end of the video, they both wind up at the same nightclub. However, they still end up missing each other by mere seconds and never meet up. The "trick" of the video is that each shot was done as one long, continuous shot, with no cuts or editing, and therefore relies on proper timing during the filming to get the two sides of the video lined up properly.
Covers and samples
"Closing Time" was the final song in the polka medley "Polka Power!" on "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
's 1999 album Running with Scissors.
Film
- The song was referenced in the SoultakerSoultaker (film)Soultaker is a 1990 fantasy horror film starring Vivian Schilling, Joe Estevez, and Robert Z'Dar. The film was featured on an episode of movie-mocking TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. However, despite the negative reception, it won a Saturn Award in 1992 for Best Genre Video Release...
episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. - The song was featured on the 1998 charitable album Live in the X Lounge.
- The song was featured in the 2010 film Due DateDue DateDue Date is a 2010 American comedy road film directed by Todd Phillips, co-written by Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, and Adam Sztykiel, and starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Zach Galifianakis. The film was released on November 5, 2010...
. In an article about the song's oddly enduring legacy at http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/38262/we-are-all-closing-time-why-semisonics-1998-hit-still-resonates, Dan Wilson says that he while he wasn't "bummed" about the song's usage in the film, he would not have approved said usage if it'd been requested because the scene it was used in was very violent. - The song was prominently featured in the 2011 film Friends with BenefitsFriends With Benefits (Film)Friends with Benefits is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. The film features an ensemble cast which includes Woody Harrelson, Bryan Greenberg, Jenna Elfman, Richard Jenkins, Emma Stone and Patricia Clarkson...
.
Television
- In 1998, "Closing Time" was heard right before the credits in the final episode of Melrose Place.
- The intro to "Closing Time" is briefly heard in the FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
episode "The One with Rachel's Date". - The song was used in an episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
entitled "That '90s Show". - The song appeared on the MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
cartoon seriesCartoon seriesA cartoon series is a set of regularly presented animated television programs with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same characters and a basic theme...
DariaDariaDaria is an American animated television series produced by Paramount Television, and created by Glenn Eichler and Susie Lewis Lynn for MTV. The series focuses on Daria Morgendorffer, a smart, acerbic, and somewhat misanthropic teenage girl who observes the world around her...
. - The line "you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here" is referenced by Daniel ToshDaniel ToshDaniel Dwight Tosh is an American stand-up comedian and host of the Comedy Central television show, Tosh.0.-Personal life:...
at the end of an episode of Tosh.0Tosh.0Tosh.0 is an American television series hosted by comedian Daniel Tosh, who provides sarcastic commentary on online video clips, society, celebrities, and other parts of popular culture.-History:...
. The line is also used by the Dr. John Carter character played by Noah WyleNoah WyleNoah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
on ERERER or Er may refer to:* Еmergency room, a department of a medical facility that specializes in the acute care of patients without any prior appointments* ER, the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of the country of Eritrea* ER, the IATA code of Astar Air Cargo...
in a 1998 episode when he tells a dorm's Halloween party guests it's time to call it a night. - The chorus of "Closing Time" was used by the character of Barney StinsonBarney StinsonBarnabas "Barney" Stinson is a fictional character created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas for the CBS television series How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Neil Patrick Harris. The character has been extremely well received by critics and has been credited for much of the show's success...
in the episode "Three Days of Snow", the 13th episode in the fourth season of the television series How I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your MotherHow I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
and 77th overall. Barney quotes "Closing Time" after last call at MacLaren's. - In a Season 8 episode of The Office titled "DoomsdayDoomsday (The Office)"Doomsday" is the sixth episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 158th episode overall...
", it is revealed that new manager Andy BernardAndy BernardAndrew "Andy" Baines Bernard is a fictional character from the U.S. television series The Office. The character is highly insecure, yet egotistical, constantly mentioning his education at Cornell University...
ends every work day by leading the office in singing "Closing Time". While no one in the office particularly likes the song (and Stanley HudsonStanley HudsonStanley James Hudson is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Leslie David Baker. Stanley's counterpart in the UK series is Malcolm.-Overview:...
admits his joy on hearing Andy sing it solely relates to his appreciation for anything that ends a workday), Wilson interviewed that he felt its usage on the show was enjoyable.
Chart positions
| Chart (1998/2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
40 |
| Canadian RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Alternative 30 |
2 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
84 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 50 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
25 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 Airplay Hot 100 Airplay The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Top 40 | 6 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 |
| U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks | 1 |
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA Charts ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
40 |