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.
See You in a Crowd
Nine Days Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So far away from home
But I still turn around
Sometimes I think that maybe you've come back to save me
And the missing piece of my life has been found
And I don't wanna know
Too much of this pain I already hold
What is it meant to be
Sometimes I think that maybe you still care
Then I realise that you'd still be there
To let me touch your shoulder
To watch as we grow older
Then I realise that life ain't fair
I don't wanna know
Too many memories with little hope
And I don't wanna see
What is it meant to be
Sometimes I think I see you in a crowd
So far away from home
But I still turn around
Sometimes I wish for days... that have already come and gone...
For second chances
And I don't wanna know
Too much of this pain I already hold
And I don't wanna see
What is it meant to be
The lyrics of Nine Days's song "See You in a Crowd" evoke themes of longing, regret, and the yearning for connection. The opening lines of the song, "Sometimes I think I see you in a crowd / So far away from home / But I still turn around" reveal a sense of desperation as the singer searches for someone who they fear is lost forever. But there is also an undercurrent of hope and a desire for closure, as the lyrics suggest that seeing this person again would "save" them and bring the missing piece of their life back.
However, the chorus of the song reveals the singer's reluctance to fully confront their feelings: "And I don't wanna know / Too much of this pain I already hold / And I don't wanna see / What is it meant to be." This reluctance is amplified when the singer reflects on the possibility of reconciliation, "Sometimes I think that maybe you still care / Then I realise that you'd still be there /To let me touch your shoulder / To watch as we grow older /Then I realise that life ain't fair." Here the lyrics acknowledge the deep pain of unrequited love and the harsh realization that some things cannot be changed.
The final stanza of the song seems to encapsulate this sense of longing, as the singer wishes for "days...that have already come and gone" and "second chances". The repetition of the opening lines of the song, "Sometimes I think I see you in a crowd / So far away from home / But I still turn around" emphasizes the cyclical nature of the singer's emotions and the fact that their search for connection continues.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I think I see you in a crowd
The singer sometimes imagines seeing their former lover in a group of people.
So far away from home
The location where the singer imagines seeing their former lover is distant from their usual residence.
But I still turn around
Despite the singer knowing the image of their former lover is just a figment of their imagination, they still turn to look.
Sometimes I think that maybe you've come back to save me
The singer occasionally wonders if their former lover has returned to rescue them from their present circumstance.
And the missing piece of my life has been found
The singer believes their former lover is the missing element that would complete and make their life whole.
And I don't wanna know
The singer expresses a desire to remain ignorant of certain aspects of their former lover.
Too much of this pain I already hold
The singer is already burdened with emotional pain, and learning more about their former lover would be too much to bear.
And I don't wanna see
The singer is reluctant to visually confront certain realities concerning their former lover.
What is it meant to be
The singer does not want to know their destiny with regards to their former lover.
Sometimes I think that maybe you still care
The singer occasionally entertains the idea that their former lover still has affection for them.
Then I realise that you'd still be there
The singer acknowledges that if their former lover did care for them, they would still be present in their life.
To let me touch your shoulder
The singer expresses a desire to have physical contact with their former lover.
To watch as we grow older
The singer desires to share a future with their former lover, where they can age together.
Then I realise that life ain't fair
The singer laments the injustice of life, where their desires have not been met.
Too many memories with little hope
The singer has many memories of their former lover, but little hope that they will be reunited.
Sometimes I wish for days... that have already come and gone...
The singer reminisces about moments with their former lover for which they long to have back, but are unattainable since they have passed.
For second chances
The singer yearns for an opportunity to try again with their former lover.
Contributed by Ella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Blue
@ComedyJew Couldn't agree more! So let's spread the word people.. :)