Meaning of “Closing Time” by Semisonic
“Closing Time”, a song by rock group Semisonic, lyrically is about encouraging patrons to vacate a bar as it is about to end its operations for the night. The literal meaning of this song revolves around bar patrons being advised its ‘closing time’ and acting accordingly, but the more-profound interpretation is based around, as Dan Wilson puts it, “being born and coming into the world”. Wilson unconsciously wrote it about his daughter Corazon (also known as Coco), who was then still in her mother’s womb.
Semisonic’s drummer also confirmed that Wilson penned the lyrics in partial recognition of fatherhood, which he was experiencing for the first time while this song was being composed.
Despite being released decades ago, this song still remains a regular selection in bars to this day. In addition to this, it has been featured on a number of television shows and movies, in addition to being a stadium favorite of the Milwaukee Brewers professional baseball team. Learn more about this extraordinary track by reading interesting details below:
“Closing Time” Facts
- Semisonic’s lead singer, Dan Wilson wrote this track. Production was handled by English record producer Nick Launay. Over the course of his illustrious career, Launay gained fame for working with the likes of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kate Bush and Arcade Fire.
- “Closing Time” was released in March of 1998. It was the first single from the band’s second studio album titled Feeling Strangely Fine. That album was also released in March of 1998.
- The proverb “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end” that is featured at the end of the track actually was authored by a 1stcentury Roman philosopher named Seneca the Younger.
- The music video for this song was produced by Chris Applebaum. The video features a split screen with action centered around Dan Wilson on one side. On the other side is the actress named Denise Franco. Denise portrays Wilson’s girlfriend in the video.
- Dan Wilson did a solo version of this song on his 2017 album Re-Covered.
- “This classic was a massive chart success. It charted in a number of countries, including the United States and Canada.
- “Closing Time” proved to be the only song by Semisonic that became a hit in America. Yet despite its success, it was never released as a single in America.
- “Closing Time” was so successful that it peaked at number 1 on the modern rock hits in 1998. Till date it is Semisonic’s only song to have achieved that feat.
- Dan Wilson says that he wrote this hit song in only 20 minutes.
Did “Closing Time” win a Grammy Award?
No. However, it received a Grammy nomination in the category of the Best Rock Song at the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1999. It lost the award to Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited”.
This was inspired by God….about “closing time” for the world.
The beginning of a new heaven and new earth with no sorrow, pain or death.
Children of the light will be manifest and the wedding of the lamb to commence.
Joyous!
Not true. It was written about the birth of the singer’s first child. “Time for you to go out to the places you will be from. This room (the womb) won’t be open ’til your brothers or your sisters come.” He admitted not all of the lyrics work — in order to make the song more commercial, some of it is obviously about bar patrons.
Well there it is.. the most retarded thing I’ve read today.
…. Even as a Christian (I’m a Mormon), I am VERY confused as to how you READ THE ARTICLE where the writer himself says exactly what the song is about… and come to this conclusion.