This song has a world-weariness to it that greatly appeals to me at this world-weary time of my life. I'll admit that Nico's version from some movie that I've never seen was the first to reach my ears. I love Nico's version, and Nico in general, and I thought that it was curious when I discovered that Jackson Browne had written it.
This is his version from the LP, For Everyman. (1973) That fact I have only discovered today. I was sure that this song would be part of his more mature catalog. I mean, this is almost "near death" sentimentality here.
It turns out that Mr. Browne is a couple of months younger than me. I downplayed him when we were in our twenties. I thought that the stuff was good, but I preferred music that was much louder and faster, or more electronic, or funky, or foreign, nothing personal, I required more stimulation in those days. He and I turned twenty-five-years-old in 1973. Isn't it miraculous that he could convey this sentiment so accurately at that age?
Then it gets even weirder. At the age of eighteen, he recorded the first version of this song to reach wax as a member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. They were so far off of my radar that the echo was too feint to read. Then, in a comment to the above video, someone points out how remarkable it was that Jackson Browne wrote this song WHEN HE WAS SIXTEEN!
Brother, I think I need a witness for that one.
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