Nine Days is a power pop/rock band that was popular in the early 00s. Forme… Read Full Bio ↴Nine Days is a power pop/rock band that was popular in the early 00s. Formed in New York by musicians John Hampson and Brian Desveaux in 1994, they released three albums independently during the 90s before their mainstream debut album, 'The Madding Crowd', was released in 2000. Their greatest popularity came from a handful of songs from said album (which took its title from the 1874 romantic drama novel 'Far From the Madding Crowd') such as the tracks "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" and "If I Am".

Stylistically, the band took influence from both contemporary adult alternative bands as well as earlier power pop and Bob Dylan-like singer-songwriter music. 'The Madding Crowd' generally received positive critical reviews and reached the #67 slot on the Billboard 200, eventually being certified as gold by the RIAA. Yet Nine Days' acclaim ended up being brief. Despite the popularity of "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)", which reached the #1 slot on Billboard's 'Top 40 Mainstream' chart and raced up in other charts, the group's mainstream success quickly faded, and they became saddled with the "one hitwonder" tag because of that single's ubiquitous nature. They're also sometimes labeled as a "two hit wonder" (due to the major airplay of "If I Am" as well).

Their next album, 'So Happily Unsatisfied', was scheduled for a release in 2002. Unfortunately due to complications with their label, Sony Records, this album became delayed and the group was no longer in possession of the rights of the songs. They managed to put it up for online distribution years later after acrimonious conflict. 'Flying the Corporate Jet', released in 2003 by the band by itself, ended up being Nine Days' last full album for some time.

Justly feeling bashed by the music industry, the band went on hiatus through much of the decade. However, In mid-August 2006, Nine Days formally reunited and went back to the studio to record. 'Slow Motion Life (Part One)', a new EP with six songs, was released on January 19, 2007. Part Two was released later that year. Their more recent work has gone in a more Americana type musical direction.

The band has since performed sporadically. Both vocal artists, John Hampson and Brian Desveaux have pursued solo careers and their music is available for purchase from their respective websites. According to the Absolutely (Story of a Girl) Songfacts, Hampson ended up spending a lot of time as a high school English teacher.

Great Divide
Nine Days Lyrics

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Every moment
Is a memory
On and on until eternity
But as far as any eye can see
There's a great divide

Maybe we can find a way
To fall into each other's arms

And finally we can say nothing
Tired of making same mistakes
With the same old bullshit lines
So maybe me should say nothing

Every moment is our destiny
We can be just who we wanna be
Or as far as any eye can see
There's a great divide

Maybe we can find a way
To fall into each other's arms
And finally we can say nothing
Tired of making same mistakes
With the same old bullshit lines
So maybe we should say nothing

All we are is everything that we'll become
And might have been
All we are is everything that we'll become
And might have been
All we are is a
Moment passing on and on
And all we are is everything that we'll become
And might have been

Tired of making same mistakes
With the same old bullshit lines
So maybe we should say nothing
Maybe we can find a way

To fall into each other's arms
And finally we can say nothing

Overall Meaning

The song "Great Divide" by Nine Days reflects on the idea of memories and the passage of time. The lyrics imply that every moment is a memory, and these memories endure until eternity. However, while we may strive to make the most of every moment, there is still an unbridgeable distance that separates us. The "great divide" serves as a metaphor for something that separates us from one another, whether it's a physical, emotional, or psychological distance.

The lyrics suggest that maybe we can find a way to close that divide, to "fall into each other's arms." However, the repetition of the phrase "maybe we should say nothing" implies that words may not be enough to bring us closer together. Perhaps our actions and mutual understanding are more important in creating a sense of unity between us. The song reflects on the idea that our destiny is shaped by every moment we live through, and it's up to us to decide who we want to be.

Line by Line Meaning

Every moment
Every single moment in our life

Is a memory
Every moment is translated into a memory

On and on until eternity
This cycle of creating memories lasts forever

But as far as any eye can see
As long as we can perceive

There's a great divide
There is a separation between people

Maybe we can find a way
Perhaps we could discover a solution

To fall into each other's arms
To come closer to each other

And finally we can say nothing
And eventually, we might have no words to say

Tired of making same mistakes
Exhausted from repeating our errors numerous times

With the same old bullshit lines
Using the same lies and excuses to defend ourselves

So maybe me should say nothing
So maybe it's better not to say anything