Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs
I wrote earlier about the prolific musical era of 2004. It was a year when established bands like Interpol and Modest Mouse flexed their recording muscles, while up-and-coming bands seemed to make a splash almost instantly. The Killers and Keane were two of the latter. Keane, in particular, felt like a band that was on top of the world for a brief moment in time. I don’t think the follow-up record came close, but that debut album is a thing of perfection. Each song seemed to be encased in a different emotional state that represented a hope or a fear, from the nostalgic bliss of the album opener “Somewhere Only We Know” to the passionate flurry of the closer “Bedshaped”. And track 5 was my favorite: “Everybody’s Changing”.
This was a song written before Keane exploded on the scene. A song about self-doubt and the fear of not making it while everyone else has moved on with their lives. It was an incredibly catchy song with a musical paradox: the lyrics were drenched in fear yet the melody exuded hope. As well as any other rock song, “Everybody’s Changing” found a way to use the piano to negate any need for guitar. It didn’t sound weak, empty or unrock & roll. In fact, it was quite the opposite.
“Trying to make a move just to stay in the game. I try to stay awake and remember my name. But everybody's changing, and I don't feel the same.”