Happy (Long) December Feat. Sluggo
by Caleb GoellnerEvery December 1st, as I wake to meet the dawn, a dreadlocked earworm inches its way into my soul with its poppy brand of quiet optimism. Seconds later, I conflate its lyrics with that of "Mr. Jones."
That's right, 20 years after the Counting Crows' second single from the band's second LP, Recovering The Satelites hit the radio, I still can't seem to escape the winter jam that is "A Long December." Do you know what you do to me, Adam Duritz?
And I'm not alone! I looked into it, and even Nancy's pal Sluggo is afflicted. He even seems* to have done a book report about the band in celebration of the 10-year anniversary of "A Long December" in this strip from 2006!
Nancy by Guy Gilchrist December 02, 2006
In 2012 Duritz told Rolling Stone that the song is "...about looking back on your life and seeing changes happening, and for once me, looking forward and thinking, 'Ya know, things are gonna change for the better -- 'maybe this year will be better than the last.'"
That sounds about right given, y'know, the song's actual lyrics. But for me? For me it's about listening to metal to purge this particular earworm from my databanks for an entire month or risk annoying my friends and family by ceaselessly mumbling it.
Have a happy and (A Long) December!
*Sluggo is almost certainly talking about something I'm too busy to Google, but the fact remains that this synchronicity is too magical to ignore