The Story of 'Closing Time' Is WEIRDER Than You THINK

Why Semisonic's Song Closing Time is So Misunderstood.

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Largely thought of as a one-hit wonder the band Semisonic, would be best known for the song ‘Closing Time.’ To be fair, they would have some international success with several other songs. While Closing Time was arguably one of the biggest hits of the late 90’s and appeared numerous times in media and film, the song’s lyrics lead one to believe that it’s a song about a last-call or late night song. It has been somewhat misunderstood for a very long time. While the song’s lyrics would lead one to think the track is written about being asked to leave a bar, it actually has a double meaning. You guys maybe shocked to learn that the song almost never made it onto radio. Let’s discuss all of that in today’s video.

Semisonic would be formed in Minneapolis in 1995 and be made up of guitarist and vocalist Dan Wilson, bassist and multi-instrumentalist John Munson and drummer Jacob Slicther. Munson and Wilson had previously played together in a group Trip Shakespear which would break up Semisonic would spend their early years playing gigs on the midwestern club circuit and put out an EP before getting a major label deal with MCA, who would put out their debut LP in 1996 titled “The Great Divide.: The release won the band much critical praise, but it was a commercial failure.

As the band hit the studio to write what would be their breakout and second album Feeling Strangely Fine, it proved to be a good creative time for the band while the members dealt with professional and personal challenges. MCA wanted a hit record this time around and it was during the making of the album Wilson’s wife who was pregnant with their first daughter dealt with complications during her pregnancy and went into labor two months early. She would be in the hospital for several months and while his bandmembers and producer offered to postpone recording sessions, Wilson continued working in the studio in between hospital visits to see his wife and new child. It would be the birth of his new child and the band’s live shows that served as the inspiration for the song Closing Time. Up until this point the band always ended their concerts with the same tune ‘If I Run’, something that didn’t sit well with the group’s drummer and bassist.

So Wilson took on a challenge to write a new set closer revealing to American Songwriter I set out to write a new closer for the set, and I just thought, “Oh, closing time.” Because all the bars that I would frequent in Minneapolis, they would yell out “closing time.” There was one bar where a guy always would scream really loud, “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,” and I guess that always stuck in my mind. So I started writing this song and it’s just, “Okay, you’ve got to go out into the light, make your way home, or wherever you’re going to be.” Part way into the writing of the song, I realized it was also about being born. My wife and I were expecting our first kid very soon after I wrote that song. I He would add to mojo magazine It's all about being born and coming into the world, seeing the bright lights, cutting the cord, opening up into something deeper and more universal.

[BB]

In retrospect Closing Time feels like the song that perfectly captures the end of a magical decade.. it's like the song was a last call for the 90s even though it was still 1998..

[NottyGurlStyle]

Closing TIme will always be a classic to me…it was on the radio all the time but I was never sick of it.

[marcop]

I wanna live in _Closing Time_ video, an alternate reality where the late 90s never ended.

[jonbourgoin]

I used to work at a record store that was open till midnight. Needless to say, by the time it was midnight I was ready to go home but some customers just didn't get the message. Until I played Closing Time as a joke one night. It soon became a thing to get customers to buy their shit or get out.

[FrankDrive]

Rolling Stone magazine hasn't been relevant since the 1970s

[bsjeffrey]

...you don't have to go home, but you can't stay the only way to clear a room

[kevinevans]

The album "Feeling Strangely Fine" is one of my favorites from that time period. I loved Secret Smile and Closing Time. I never knew there was a secret meaning though to that song. Great choice on this story!

[karinnotkaren]

My signature on my email used to be "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end" I love that line!

[jmason]

The drummer Jake wrote a GREAT book about the band & the rock industry from the time... it's funny too. Called "So you want to be a rock n roll star" I highly recommend it

[JRPLawyeress]

I think it’s a great song. 25 years ago our kids were 5, 8 and 10. They had a wonderful childhood growing up in the 90s. I loved being a mom. Now even our kids have gray hair. We didn’t feel time rushing by but it was. My daughter was dressing like Scary Spice. Now she’s 35. I remember rollerblading in the cul de sac with all the neighborhood kids. Chokes me up remembering. 😢

[rnrtruestories]

were you a fan of semisonic? Also, does the song deserve to be on Rolling Stone's most annoying list?

[conors]

I love how record execs get to decide what is a hit. People can’t like something they’ve never heard. And a hit can’t be a hit before it’s ever been played.

[Jakew]

Do Lifehouse! I recently got into them, they were pretty big in the 2000s love to hear extra stories if you can find about their precursor Blyss!

[amx]

A song like Smells like Teen Spirit, Live Forever and such were at the very top in the 90's, and Closing Time is just below that tier, it's that damnn good!

[jessehutchings]

I think it's a great song and many of us have nostalgia for it bc we grew up hearing it. It's really sad that label execs can be so hostile to their own working bands like that

[e-rockmixtapes]

Great Divide is great a great album! Dan Wilson also co-wrote "Someone Like You" with Adele. He should get more credit for his songwriting. "Free Life" by Dan Wilson...damn that one gets me every time.

[kenterminateddq]

"Closing Time" is the perfect song to use when the store or fancy restaurant is about to close.

[grumpysnail]

I used to work at a bar and this song is like nails in my ears. I had to hear it *every* *single* *night* for 4 years straight.

[andrewbeauparlant]

This song is one of my favorites to sing along to. Never gets old imo

[claymccoy]

"All About Chemistry" is a great song.