Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs
The best music may be the kind that has exerted the most influence, but I firmly believe the best songs are the ones that have helped us create the best memories. The ones that remind us of beautiful souls we knew, strong friendships we forged and unforgettable moments we experienced. When August and Everything After came out, it quickly became an album full of these kinds of songs. I was in college at the time — comfortably stuck in that space of being an irresponsible kid and a responsible adult. The album’s songs carry so many memories with them for me, but none more so than “Round Here”. I think it’s why I may like this song a lot more than the average person.
“Round Here” is the song that reminds me of two roommates who have left this world way too early. One was a college friend who I found out died from a drug overdose several years after we graduated. The other was a roommate we had for one summer who died from cancer leaving behind a husband and two children. “Round Here” was a critical part of our soundtrack in that season where our lives intersected. It’s simply impossible for me to hear this gut-wrenching and highly personal song without being reminded of Dennis and Monet. But it’s also a song that reminds me of a friendship forged with a guy who I met at church several years ago. He’s not just a friend, he became a brother. Counting Crows is one of his favorite bands and, because of Justin, I think I took this band a little more seriously and have seen them live twice. I love the instrumentation and lyrics of “Round Here”, but it’s the specific memories of these people, these friendships and these moments that make it not just great song to me, but a transcendent one at that.
“In between the moon and you, the angels get a better view of the crumbling difference between wrong and right.”