Seeking Comfort in Nico's "These Days" - Atwood Magazine

      For those looking to embrace a tranquil, almost zombified state in 2025, the languid sorrow of Nico’s 1967 track “These Days” remains just as impactful as ever.

      Stream: “These Days” – Nico

      I first encountered “These Days” from Nico’s debut album Chelsea Girl (1967) while in a hazy, fevered state, and it became my life’s soundtrack for a draining three weeks. I meandered through dim hallways with unkempt hair, sweated through my sheets, and vomited Gatorade in the toilet, all while the lyrics, “I’ve stopped my dreaming I won’t do too much scheming these days,” loomed over me like a storm cloud.

      Chelsea Girl – Nico

      The lyrics of “These Days” evoke the sorrowful musings of a beautiful, melancholy aunt, whose despondency has permeated every part of her existence. She exists in a liminal space, her gaze unfocused as she allows herself to drift further from the present.

      And in that drifting, there is tranquility — a refuge you find when you listen to the song.

      Though its lyrics may seem to reflect someone at the twilight of their existence, rock singer and songwriter Jackson Browne actually wrote the song at the age of 16. In an interview with The New York Times, Browne remarked, “Teenagers have a very vibrant emotional life. There’s so much happening regarding your thoughts on personal freedom and what the world is meant to offer you.”

      The song came to Nico after Browne collaborated with her at a nightclub called the Dom, where it took on a fresh dimension.

      Nico

      Nico’s rendition is heartfelt and introspective, sung with a soft, straightforward tone. She doesn’t lament; she simply declares,

      “I had a lover,

      I don’t think I’ll risk another

      these days.”

      Even after 58 years, the song continues to resonate. Filmmaker Wes Anderson was so inspired by it that he later incorporated it into The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), solidifying its place in cinematic history by featuring it in one of the most memorable scenes, where Margot Tenenbaum (Gwenyth Paltrow) steps off the bus to meet her brother Richie (Luke Wilson) at the pier. In the film, the song serves not as a reflection of the past, but as an encounter between two lingering spirits and their unresolved feelings for each other.

      The delicate fingerpicking of the acoustic guitar instills a sense of dislocation, akin to a farmer traversing wheat fields at dawn. Then, at the 19-second point, like a pale sunrise, the strings subtly join the accompaniment. They exchange a quiet, harmonious dialogue, reminiscent of how the wind gently prompts the leaves on trees to murmur.

      Since Donald Trump’s inauguration, I find myself returning to this song. Whether I’m settling down with a cup of tea or listening to it during morning dishwashing, I seek solace in its familiar melody and candid lyrics.

      “These days I seem to think about,

      How all the changes came about my ways,

      And I wonder if I’d see another highway.”

      And like the lyricist, I too wonder if I’ll ever come across another highway.

      I ponder whether these days will ever conclude.

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      Stream: “These Days” – Nico

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