These Days

I recently picked up a copy of Fountains of Wayne's two-disk collection of non-album bonus tracks and unreleased songs. It's not great--the song-writing and recording quality vary pretty wildly--but it's good. I expected Maureen, the air-time-worthy single, to be the best of the bunch. And perhaps it is by most standards. Great hook, clever lyrics, and it's the one loaded on my iPod for running. But right now the song stuck in my head is the remake of an old Jackson Browne song called These Days. Damn, it's good. Maybe it's just that this particular song happens to resonate with me right now . . . or should I say, these days.

It's been ages since I've heard the Jackson Browne version, so I can't be one of those music snobs that gets all bunched up about how much better the original was and how nearly sacriligious it was for this power pop band to cover it. I can simply say that this is a great song and it's worth listening to if you get the chance.

Well Ive been out walking
I dont do that much talking these days
These days--
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
For you
And all the times I had the chance to

And I had a lover
Its so hard to risk another these days
These days--
Now if I seem to be afraid
To live the life I have made in song
Well its just that Ive been losing so long

Ill keep on moving
Things are bound to be improving these days
These days--
These days I sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend
Dont confront me with my failures
I have not forgotten them

Damn, that's good.

Don't confront me with my failures
I have not forgotten them