"These Days" is a song written by

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American rock musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 30 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he had his ...

and recorded by numerous artists. Browne wrote the song at age 16; its lyrics deal with loss and regret. It was first recorded by

Nico Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...

in 1967 for her album '' Chelsea Girl'', and Nico's arrangement was recorded by several other artists.

Tom Rush Tom Rush (born February 8, 1941) is an American folk and blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter whose success helped launch the careers of other singer-songwriters in the 1960s and who has continued his own singing career for 60 years. Life ...

recorded the song with a string arrangement for his album ''

'' in 1970.

Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman B ...

recorded a new arrangement of the song for his 1973 LP ''

Laid Back Laid Back is a Danish electronic music duo group from Copenhagen, formed in 1979. The duo consists of John Guldberg (vocals, guitar, bass) and Tim Stahl (vocals, keyboards, drums, bass). They are best known for the hits " Sunshine Reggae" and ...

'', and Browne released his own version, based on Allman's arrangement, on ''

For Everyman ''For Everyman'' is the second album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne, released in 1973 (see 1973 in music). The album peaked at number 43 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and the single " Redneck Friend" reached number 85 on the ''B ...

'', also in 1973. "These Days" has since been recorded by many other artists, and remains one of Browne's most enduring compositions. According to Randall Roberts at the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', the song has "quietly become a classic" over the years, while ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' Bob Mehr called it "a remarkably durable composition". ''

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...

s 2006 ranking of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s" placed the Nico version of "These Days" at number 31.

Origins and Nico version

In the mid- to late 1960s, Jackson Browne, a prolific songwriter, was pitching his material to artists and publishing houses. On January 7, 1967, he made some

demo recording A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...

s for Nina Music Publishing at Jaycino Studio in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Nina collected these songs on a double album which was given to various artists and managers in the hope that other artists would choose to record one. Included in these demos, and the third song on this collection, was "I've Been Out Walking", an early version of "These Days". Yet the song was even older than that. Browne later said he wrote it when he was 16 years old,''Sessions @ AOL'' September 4, 2002, Jackson Browne concert broadcast. meaning in 1964 or 1965. German model and singer

was the first to record "These Days" for release on her October 1967 album '' Chelsea Girl''. The elaborate production featured a fairly fast

fingerpicking Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar or bass guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking (plucking individual notes with a single plectr ...

electric guitar part by Browne, played in a descending pattern ending in a major 7th chord. The use of the instrument was suggested by artist and

impresario An impresario (from Italian ''impresa'', 'an enterprise or undertaking') is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, Play (theatre), plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film producer, film or ...

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...

, Nico's manager at the time, who was looking for something more "modern" than the acoustic guitar on the songwriter's demo recording.'' Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1'', "These Days" song introduction, 2004 tour. This was combined with

overdub Overdubbing (also known as layering) is a technique used in audio recording in which audio tracks that have been pre-recorded are then played back and monitored, while simultaneously recording new, doubled, or augmented tracks onto one or more a ...

bed strings and flutes, added after the fact by producer Tom Wilson without Nico's knowledge. Set against these elements were the sad, world-weary lyrics, in Nico's mannered, German-accented, lower-register vocals:Michael Pelusi
"Test of Time: Nico said there'd be 'These Days'"
''

Philadelphia City Paper ''Philadelphia City Paper'' was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The independently owned paper was free and published every Thursday in print and daily online at citypaper.net. Staff reporters focused on labor issues ...

'', November 27, 2003. Accessed May 26, 2007. Nico disliked the strings and called the album "unlistenable" as a result. But nevertheless, the "ineffable sadness" and "grandeur of her melancholy" came through, according to ''Pitchfork''. "These Days" was recorded in 1968 by

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (sometimes abbreviated NGDB), also known as the Dirt Band, is an American band founded in Long Beach, California, in 1966. Since 2018, the band has consisted of Jeff Hanna and his son Jaime Hanna, both guitarists and voc ...

on their album ''

Rare Junk ''Rare Junk'' is the third studio album from The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, released in 1968. In an attempt to update their sound the band included electric instrumentation on the record, but it still was a commercial failure. Track listing #"Mourn ...

'', by

on his 1970 self-titled album, by

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet " Up Where We Belong", and in 1987 fo ...

(as "Jennifer") on her 1972 album ''Jennifer'' (this version was produced by

John Cale John Davies Cale (born 9 March 1942) is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, dr ...

, who also played on Nico's ''Chelsea Girl'' album), by

Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark "Kenny" Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded with Jim Messina (musician), Jim Mess ...

' first band, Gator Creek, around the same time, and by

Iain Matthews Iain Matthews (born Ian Matthews MacDonald, 16 June 1946) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. He was an original member of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention from 1967 to 1969 before leaving to form his own band, Matthew ...

on his 1973 album ''Valley Hi''.

Browne and Allman versions

By 1973, Jackson Browne had become a successful recording artist, and not having raided his back catalogue for the first album ''

'', was willing to do so for his second, ''

''. Recorded at the Sunset Sound Factory, the song had evolved considerably from the version Nico had recorded in 1967. Some lyrics were changed or omitted, such as a couple of lines about "rambling" and "gambling". The fingerpicking guitar figure was replaced with

flatpicking Flatpicking (or simply picking) is the technique of striking the strings of a guitar with a pick (also called a plectrum) held between the thumb and one or two fingers. It can be contrasted to fingerstyle guitar, which is playing with indi ...

, and the slower-paced instrumentation was typical of early 1970s

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...

— drums, bass, piano, acoustic guitar, but most prominently with David Lindley's

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

, a feature of Browne's early albums, but also with

Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...

on drums and

David Paich David Frank Paich (born June 25, 1954) is an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, principal songwriter, keyboardist, and secondary vocalist of the rock band Toto (band), Toto since 1977. He wrote or co-wrot ...

on piano. Nico's cool delivery was replaced by Browne's singer-songwriter-style approach, resulting in a vocal that ''

'' later called "unique, and piercingly sad". The version was recorded at around the same time as a version by

, which Jackson thanked in his liner notes in ''For Everyman''; Browne based the musical arrangement of his 1973 recording partly on Allman's version; the two versions were released within days of each other in October 1973. Allman's version would appear on his debut solo album, ''

'' (and following by a year or two the loss of

The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...

bandmates

Duane Allman Howard Duane Allman (November 20, 1946 – October 29, 1971) was an American rock and blues guitarist and the founder and original leader of the Allman Brothers Band, for which he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fam ...

and

Berry Oakley Raymond Berry Oakley III (April 4, 1948 – November 11, 1972) was an American bassist and one of the founding members of the Allman Brothers Band. Known for his long, melodic bass runs, he was ranked number 46 on ''Bass Player'' magazine's l ...

in motorcycle accidents). ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Michael Gallucci rated it as Browne's 5th greatest song, saying that "it's Browne's sad, plaintive take on the song...that nails the melancholic tone of the lyrics." ''Glide'' critic Lee Zimmerman rated it as one of 10 Jackson Browne songs that should have been a hit, calling it "a tender tune written by a remarkably young man at the early stages of his career" and saying that "the remorse and regret belie the fact that his life experiences had barely even begun." While Allman was most associated with the emerging

Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. History 1950s and 1960s: origin ...

scene, he had spent considerable time in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

before The Allman Brothers Band came together; he and Browne had become friends, and he had recorded the Browne composition "Cast Off All My Fears" on the album '' The Hour Glass'', the self-title debut of his band at that time. Allman's version of "These Days" kept to Browne's revised lyric until the end, when he changed "Don't confront me with my failures / I had not forgotten them," to "Please don't confront me with my failures / I'm aware of them." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' praised the treatment, saying Allman "does full justice to the quietly hurting lyrics, double-tracking the vocal over a sad steel guitar," and calling the vocal quality "resigned" and "eternally aching."

Tony Glover David Curtis Glover (October 7, 1939 – May 29, 2019), better known as Tony "Little Sun" Glover, was an American blues musician and music critic. He was a harmonica player and singer associated with "Spider" John Koerner and Dave "Snaker ...

"Laid Back"
''

'', January 3, 1974. Accessed May 27, 2007. In 1999, writer Anthony DeCurtis called Allman's version "definitive", Anthony DeCurtis
"For Everyman"
August 5, 1999. Accessed May 28, 2007. and in 2012, ''

American Songwriter ''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee. History The ''American Songwri ...

'' magazine said that Allman's recording had overshadowed Browne's in the same way that the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

had for Browne's co-written "

Take It Easy "Take It Easy" is the debut single by the American rock band Eagles, written by Jackson Browne and Eagles band member Glenn Frey, who also provides lead vocals. It was released on May 1, 1972, and peaked at No. 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 ...

Many years later, Browne described the inspiration he credited: "When llmandid it I thought that he really unlocked a power in that song that I sort of then emulated in my version. I started playing the piano. I wasn't trying to sing it like Gregg; I couldn't possibly. I took the cue, playin' this slow walk. But it was written very sort of, kind of — trums opening— a little more flatpicking."Interview with Jackson Browne
, KGSR radio

Austin Austin refers to: Common meanings * Austin, Texas, United States, a city * Austin (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin (surname), a list of people and fictional characters * Austin Motor Company, a British car manufac ...

, October 10, 2002. Accessed May 26, 2007. While neither version was released as a single, both Browne's and Allman's "These Days" recordings gained airplay on progressive rock radio stations and became the most-heard interpretations of the song. The song was included on both of Browne's "best of" albums, '' The Next Voice You Hear: The Best of Jackson Browne'' and '' The Very Best of Jackson Browne'', and on both of Allman's compilations, ''The Millennium Collection: The Best of Gregg Allman'' and (in a live version) ''No Stranger to the Dark: The Best of Gregg Allman''. When Allman toured as a solo act, he generally kept "These Days" in his concert repertoire. Browne was a different story. It had appeared in his concerts since before he had a recording contract, and stayed in through the 1970s, usually played on piano in a surprising segue out of his biggest hit single, " Doctor My Eyes". But by 1980 he had graduated from

hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...

s and outdoor amphitheatres to arenas, and "These Days" disappeared from his

set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

s, perhaps because he felt it no longer effective in those settings. Save for the occasional acoustic show or benefit show, the song was not heard again until the late 1990s, as Browne was again playing smaller venues, often solo, and where it began to reappear out of the "Doctor My Eyes" segue again.

Renewed visibility

"These Days" gained renewed visibility when the Nico recording was included in a scene in the 2001

Wes Anderson Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. Wes Anderson filmography, His films are known for themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Due to his films' eccentricity, distinctive visual and narrative ...

film ''

The Royal Tenenbaums ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' is a 2001 American tragicomedy film directed by Wes Anderson and co-written with Owen Wilson. It stars Danny Glover, Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Bill Murray, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson. ...

'', which grossed over $50 million in the U.S. and garnered many award nominations. The ''

'' wrote that "It's no surprise that Wes Anderson used this recording in ''The Royal Tenenbaums''; the fear of missed opportunity that its characters share is what propels 'These Days'." The scene in which Margot Tenenbaum (

Gwyneth Paltrow Gwyneth Kate Paltrow ( ; born September 27, 1972) is an American actress and businesswoman. The daughter of filmmaker Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner, she established herself as a leading lady appearing in mainly mid-budget and perio ...

) gets out of a Green Line bus as the song is heard was one of the first that Anderson designed for the film. Jackson Browne later said "I forgot that I'd licensed them to use this song. And this is one of those things that comes to you in the mail and you don't know what they're talking about and you simply give them their permission. You're sitting in the movie theater and there's this great moment when Gwyneth Paltrow is coming out of a bus or something like that. I'm thinking to myself, I used to play the guitar just like that. And then the voice comes on and it's Nico singing 'These Days', which I played on." Nico's "These Days" was included on both versions of ''The Royal Tenenbaums'' soundtrack. Later, a 2002

Kmart Kmart ( ), formerly legally registered as Kmart Corporation, now operated by Transformco, is a department-store chain and online retailer in the United States and Territories of the United States, its territories. It operates four remaining Kma ...

commercial looped the guitar part from the Nico recording. There was a new wave of treatments of the song, with some emulating either Nico or Browne while others reimagined it in other ways.Georgiana Cohen
"The life I have made in song"
''The Seedy Revue'', August 7, 2004. Accessed May 27, 2007. Nico's version later became a popular sound on the mobile app

TikTok TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...

. Given this new attention, Browne began playing "These Days" in concert on a regular basis, but on acoustic guitar and in a new style. He now started with the fingerpicking guitar part but continued in a technique and feel that falls between the Nico and Browne recordings. He said "And now I've learned how to play the Nico version, which we sort of made up for her. mitates Nico's versionFabulous you know..." It was included on Browne's 2005 live album '' Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1'', including a humorous spoken introduction about the origins of the song. Another arrangement was constructed for his 2006 tour of Spain with David Lindley and percussionist Tino di Geraldo and captured on the 2010 live album '' Love Is Strange: En Vivo Con Tino''. A Spanish-accented vocal from guest singer Luz Casal was set against Browne's acoustic guitar, Lindley's violin, and di Geraldo's

cajón A cajón ( ; "box, crate, drawer") is a box-shaped percussion instrument originally from Peru, played by slapping the front or rear faces (generally thin plywood) with the hands, fingers, or sometimes implements such as brushes, mallets, or st ...

;

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

stated that the result "makes an already beautiful song exquisite". The Allman Brothers Band included the song for the first time in their concerts, featuring it on their March 2005 Beacon Theatre run of shows with Gregg Allman and

Warren Haynes Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was ...

both playing acoustic guitar and sharing dual vocals. Browne and Allman sang "These Days" together on January 10, 2014, at

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

's Fox Theatre at the ''All My Friends: Celebrating The Songs & Voice of Gregg Allman'' tribute concert and subsequent CD and DVD release. The pair followed with a duet of Allman's classic "

Melissa Melissa is a feminine given name. The name comes from the Greek language, Greek word μέλισσα (''mélissa''), "bee", which in turn comes from μέλι (''meli''), "honey". In Hittite language, Hittite, ''melit'' signifies "honey". Meliss ...

." On October 9, 2014, Browne joined

Blake Mills Blake Mathew Simon Mills (born September 21, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and composer based in California. He is known for production and guitar work on albums and singles by many artists, including Fiona Apple, ...

onstage at the World Cafe in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

to perform "These Days." The two were joined by Mills' tour band as well as his opener, yMusic. Mills admitted to having played the song at his high school graduation, citing Browne as an early influence and now-frequent collaborator.

Post-1973 versions

included the song on his 1973 solo album ''Valley Hi''. *

Terry Melcher Terrence Paul Melcher (; February 8, 1942 – November 19, 2004) was an American record producer, singer, and songwriter who was instrumental in shaping the mid-to-late 1960s California Sound and folk rock movements. His best-known contribution ...

with

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress and singer. She began her career as a big band singer in 1937, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, "Sentimental Journey ...

included "These Days" on his 1974 album ''Terry Melcher''. * New Grass Revival recorded the song in a

progressive bluegrass Bluegrass music is a Music genre, genre of American roots music that developed in the 1940s in the Appalachian region of the United States. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe, Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys. Bluegrass has r ...

style for their 1975 album '' Fly Through the Country''. *

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

recorded the song for her 1975 album ''

Stars A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by self-gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night; their immense distances from Earth make them appear as fixed points of ...

''. * Kate Wolf recorded the song, live in June 1979.

Nina Gerber Nina Gerber is an American guitarist who first came to attention when she accompanied singer-songwriter Kate Wolf from 1979 until Wolf's death in 1986. Gerber was born and raised in Sebastopol, California Sebastopol ( ) is a city in Sonoma ...

accompanied her on guitar. It was released posthumously on ''Looking Back at You'' in 1994. * Indie rocker

Barbara Manning Barbara Manning (born December 12, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist whose albums blend elements of rock, folk, pop and proto-punk. She is also known for her cover versions of often obscure pop songs. In addition to an acclaime ...

included it as the B-side of one of her singles in 1989. *

10,000 Maniacs 10,000 Maniacs are an American alternative rock band founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four albums that c ...

covered the song for the 1990

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

tribute album '' Rubáiyát''. *

The Golden Palominos The Golden Palominos were an American musical group headed by drummer, producer, arranger, and composer Anton Fier, first formed in 1981. Aside from Fier, the Palominos membership fluctuated, with only bassist Bill Laswell and guitarist Nick ...

on their 1993 album '' This Is How It Feels''. * The Nectarine No. 9 recorded the song on the 1995 album ''Niagara Falls''. *

Lloyd Cole Lloyd Cole (born 31 January 1961) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He was lead vocalist of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989 and subsequently worked solo. Early life Cole was born in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. He ...

played the song live in the 1990s. *

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known as Elliott Smith, was an American musician and singer-songwriter. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of his life in Portland, Oregon, whe ...

was known to cover the song frequently in live performances (most likely in the late 1990s). *

Fountains of Wayne Fountains of Wayne is an American Rock music, rock band that formed in New York City in 1995. The band included founding members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter, and Brian Young (drummer), Brian Young. They released six album ...

used it as the B-side of their 1999 single "Troubled Times", and later included it on disc 2 of the band's 2005 compilation album '' Out-of-State Plates''. * Mates of State recorded it as a 7" inch single in 2002 *

Paul Westerberg Paul Harold Westerberg (born December 31, 1959) is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Replacements. Following the breakup of the Replacements, Westerberg launched a solo career that saw him r ...

covered the song on his 2003 album '' Come Feel Me Tremble''. * Philadelphia singer-songwriter Denison Witmer included the song on his 2003 covers album '' Recovered''. * Alternative folk singer

Kathryn Williams Kathryn Williams (born 15 February 1974, Liverpool, England) is an English singer-songwriter who to date has released 14 studio albums, written and arranged for a multitude of artists, and was nominated for the 2000 Mercury Prize, Mercury Mus ...

included a cover of "These Days" on her 2004 covers album ''Relations''. *

St. Vincent Saint Vincent may refer to: People Saints * Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr * Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia * Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305 ...

covered the song on the 2006 EP '' Paris Is Burning''. *

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

band Delays included a cover of the song on their 2008 EP '' Lost Tunes''. *

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

covered the song on his 2008 album '' Meet Glen Campbell''. *

Band of Horses Band of Horses is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 2004 in Seattle, Seattle, Washington. Led by singer-songwriter Ben Bridwell, who has been the band's sole constant member throughout numerous line-up changes, the band's current line ...

guitarist Tyler Ramsey covered the song on his 2008 solo album ''A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea''. * Irish singer

Gemma Hayes Gemma Hayes (born 11 August 1977) is an Irish musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments, including the piano and the harmonica. She is also a m ...

recorded the track on her 2009 ''

Oliver EP This is the discography of the Irish alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alter ...

''. *

Fightstar Fightstar were a British rock band from London that formed in 2003. The band is composed of lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and co-vocalist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi. Genera ...

covered the song acoustically as a B-side to the digital download of their 2009 single " Never Change". *

The Tallest Man on Earth Kristian Matsson (born 30 April 1983) is a Swedish singer-songwriter who performs under the stage name The Tallest Man on Earth. Matsson grew up in Leksand, and began his solo career in 2006, having previously been the lead singer of the Indepen ...

covered the song in 2009 for a Take-Away Show video. *

Robin Pecknold Robin Noel Pecknold (born March 30, 1986) is an American singer-songwriter, who serves as the principal songwriter and vocalist for indie folk band Fleet Foxes, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. He is known for his distinct baritenor ...

and Alela Diane covered the song at a live concert in 2011. *

Don Henley Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician who is a founding member of the rock band the Eagles, for whom he is the drummer and co-lead vocalist, as well as its sole continuous member. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles ...

with

Blind Pilot Blind Pilot is an American indie folk band based in Portland, Oregon, United States. They have released four albums and one EP since 2008. History On July 15, 2008, Blind Pilot released their debut CD '' 3 Rounds and a Sound'' on Expunged Recor ...

recorded the song for the 2014 '' Looking Into You: A Tribute to Jackson Browne'' album. * Live in 1990 in a duet between Gregg Allman and

Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is a British and American musician, singer and songwriter. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills ...

. * Johnny Darrell recorded the song for the 1970 album ''The California Stop-Over'', and it was included on the 2002 album ''The Complete Gusto Records, Gusto/Starday Records, Starday/King Records (United States), King Recordings''. * Drake (entertainer), Drake and Babeo Baggins of rap collective Barf Troop covered the song in 2016. * Swing Out Sister covered the song in a live limited edition recording, ''Les Chants de Manchester'' released in 2016 (recorded October 14, 2011, by Robin Macmillan at Lowry Gallery in Salford). *Yeule recorded a cover version and released it as a digital single in 2019. *Young@Heart Chorus recorded it on their album ''Now''. *Everything But The Girl recorded a cover version and released it on ''Missing - The Live EP''. * Miley Cyrus covered the song for ''MTV Unplugged Presents Miley Cyrus Backyard Sessions'' in 2020. * Cat Power recorded a cover version in her 2022 album ''Covers (Cat Power album), Covers''. * Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Weyes Blood, Matty Healy, Jack Antonoff and Trey Anastasio performed a cover for the 8th Annual Talent Show for The Ally Coalition * Daryl Braithwaite and Dale Kruse covered the song on Braithwaite's album The Lemon Tree (album), ''The Lemon Tree'' in 2008. * The Anchoress (musician), The Anchoress covered the song on her album ''Versions'' in 2023. * Big Star covered the song on their album ''Third/Sister Lovers'', recorded in 1974 but not released until 1978.

Soundtrack appearances

The best-known soundtrack usage of "These Days" was in the 2001 film ''The Royal Tenenbaums''. Other soundtrack appearances include: * The 2002 cover version by indie rock band Mates of State appeared in the 2004 Wicker Park (soundtrack), ''Wicker Park'' soundtrack. * A cover version by Griffin House (musician), Griffin House was played on the ''Everwood'' television series and its 2004 Everwood#Soundtrack, soundtrack album. * Browne's 1973 recording appeared in the 2006 film ''Invincible (2006 film), Invincible''.Bob Grimm
"Let the Eagle Soar"
''Tucson Weekly'', August 31, 2006. Accessed May 28, 2007. * Jen Stills' version was featured in "Nearlyweds", a 2009 episode of the television series ''Brothers & Sisters (2006 TV series), Brothers & Sisters''. * Alt-J and Mountain Man (band), Mountain Man's song "Buffalo" featured on the Silver Linings Playbook (soundtrack), ''Silver Linings Playbook'' soundtrack uses the first lines of "These Days" at the end of their song. * Taylor Goldsmith of the band Dawes (band), Dawes covered the song for a 2017 episode "Number One" of the TV show ''This Is Us (TV series), This Is Us''. Goldsmith is married to series co-star Mandy Moore and has collaborated with Browne in the past. * Browne's recording was also featured on ''Billions (TV series), Billions'', season 4, episode 10 "New Year's Day" and on the Netflix series ''After Life (TV series), After Life'', season 2, episode 1.

Origins and Nico version

Browne and Allman versions

Renewed visibility

Post-1973 versions

Soundtrack appearances

References

Further reading