Closing Time (Semisonic song)

"Closing Time" is a song by American rock band Semisonic. It was released in March 1998 as the lead single from their second studio album Feeling Strangely Fine. Their signature song, it was written by Dan Wilson and produced by Nick Launay. The single reached number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and the top 50 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. It is certified silver in the latter country and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song in 1999.[5][6]

"Closing Time"
Single by Semisonic
from the album Feeling Strangely Fine
ReleasedMarch 10, 1998
FormatCD
Recordedmid-1997
Genre
Length
  • 4:33 (album version)
  • 3:49 (single version)
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Dan Wilson
Producer(s)Nick Launay
Semisonic singles chronology
"F.N.T."
(1996)		 "Closing Time"
(1998)		 "Singing in My Sleep"
(1998)
Audio sample
  • file
  • help

While the song is about people leaving a bar at closing time (also called last call), and widely interpreted as such, drummer Jacob 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."[7][8]

Background and writing

Prior to the composition "Closing Time", Semisonic would usually end their concerts with the song "If I Run". The band grew tired of playing this song every night and so Wilson set out to write a new song that they could play at the end of their set.[9] Wilson's girlfriend was pregnant at the time and although Wilson did not set out consciously to write a song about giving birth, he has stated that "Part way into the writing of the song, I realized it was also about being born."[9]

The song ends with a quote attributed to Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca: "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

Music video

The music video was directed by Chris Applebaum. 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) as 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. 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 to get the two sides of the video lined up properly.

Charts and certifications

Covers and samples

"Closing Time" was the final song in the polka medley "Polka Power!" on "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1999 album Running with Scissors.

Wilson recorded a solo version of the song for his 2017 album Re-Covered, a collection of his own versions of songs he had written for other artists; "Closing Time" was the only song on the album that Wilson had originally recorded himself.

Use in media

"Closing Time" has been featured in a number of films and television series in the years following its release. In an article about the song's oddly enduring legacy and its use to punctuate comedic scenes, songwriter Dan Wilson believed the song had become "shorthand for that interesting feeling when you realize someone very different from you shares your cultural background" and that it is a song many people know but not everyone likes.[28]

The song was featured in the 2010 film Due Date during a scene in which Danny McBride beats up the film's two protagonists. Wilson says that while he was not "bummed" about the song's usage in the film, he would not have approved its usage if he had been personally asked because the scene it was used in was very violent.[28]

The song was prominently featured in the 2011 film Friends with Benefits where, in the climax, Justin Timberlake's character points out that the song is by Semisonic and not, as he believed, Third Eye Blind.

The song was featured in the series finale of Melrose Place.

The song is also featured during the cold open of the 2011 The Office episode "Doomsday", in which newly appointed manager Andy Bernard plays the song every day as everyone is leaving, much to the annoyance of his coworkers.

The song was featured in the series finale of Rules of Engagement (season 7 episode 13) as the final credits were played.[29]

The Milwaukee Brewers play this song at the end of their home games.

The song was used in the 2012 film American Reunion.[30]

Dodgers organist Dieter Ruehle played the song at the end of the 2018 World Series, played at Dodgers Stadium.

See also
  • Number one modern rock hits of 1998

References
  1. Price, Walter (January 7, 2019). "A Take Me Home Three-Way: SEMISONIC – "Closing Time" (1998)". Global Texan Chronicles. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  2. "Classical Cover: Semisonic's Closing Time". Alto Riot.
  3. "Dan Wilson On Mountain Stage". NPR. October 29, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  4. Mitchell, Collin (April 5, 2001). "Semisonic All About Chemistry MCA". Daily Nexus. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  5. "41st Grammy Awards – 1999". Rock on the Net. Retrieved February 12, 2007.
  6. Wood, Olivia (January 15, 2020). "Episode 176: Semisonic". Song Exploder. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  7. A Hit Single and the Heart-Wrenching Story Behind it, by Claudia Ricci, The Huffington Post, posted February 8, 2011, retrieved February 27, 2011
  8. "Perennial Co-Writer Returns With An Album Of His Own". NPR.org. April 15, 2014.
  9. Schlansky, Evan (October 14, 2019). "Semisonic Success Story: An Interview With Dan Wilson". American Songwriter. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
  10. "Australian-charts.com – Semisonic – Closing Time". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  11. "Top RPM Rock/Alternative Tracks: Issue 3543." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  12. "Dutchcharts.nl – Semisonic – Closing Time" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  13. "Charts.nz – Semisonic – Closing Time". Top 40 Singles.
  14. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  15. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  16. "Semisonic Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  17. "Semisonic Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  18. "Semisonic Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  19. "Semisonic Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  20. "Semisonic Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  21. "Semisonic Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  22. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Semisonic". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  23. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  24. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  25. "RPM's Top 100 Hit Tracks of '98" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 63 no. 12. December 14, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  26. "RPM's Top 50 Alternative Tracks of '98". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  27. "British single certifications – Semisonic – Closing Time". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 31, 2019. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Closing Time in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  28. Hyden, Steven (November 30, 2011). "We Are All 'Closing Time': Why Semisonic's 1998 Hit Still Resonates". Grantland.
  29. Will Harris (May 20, 2013). "Rules Of Engagement — "100th"". The A.V. Club.
  30. American Reunion. Time: 1:24:00
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