The Long Island-based band Nine Days was barely more than a blip on the pop culture radar screen. They scored a huge hit in 2000 with “Absolutely (Story of a Girl)”, which was one of the most annoying songs of the year, and I was unfortunately dating someone at the time who absolutely loved it. I think I heard it so many times I finally gave in and said “OK, OK, I like it”.
I don’t remember when I came into possession of Nine Days’ debut album, “The Madding Crowd”, but one song on the album (which turned out to be the follow-up single and strangely nowhere near as big a hit) affected me a great deal.
The good thing about lyrics is that they generally tend to be ambiguous enough that you can formulate the meaning of the song to whatever suits you. While “If I Am” may indeed be about a guy expressing his devotion to a girl, it could just as easily be about someone talking to a friend who’s going through a rough patch and trying to shake him or her out of their doldrums.
The lyric “you should never let the sun set on tomorrow/before the sun rises today” is probably as profound (and truthful) as pop music gets.
The video sucks, so maybe it’s best to just listen to the song, but at least I’ve given you the option, right? Whatta guy.
