These Days

"These Days" is a song written by Jackson Browne 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 in 1967 for her album Chelsea Girl, and Nico's arrangement was recorded by several other artists. Tom Rush recorded the tune with a string arrangement for his album Tom Rush in 1970. Gregg Allman recorded a new arrangement of the song for his 1973 LP Laid Back, and Browne released his own version, based on Allman's arrangement, on For Everyman, 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 song has "quietly become a classic" over the years. Pitchfork Media'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, Browne, a prolific songwriter, was pitching his material to artists and publishing houses. On January 7, 1967, he made some demo recordings for Nina Music Publishing at Jaycino Studio in New York City. 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, meaning in 1964 or 1965.