A Long December

A year before this song was released, a friend of frontman Adam Duritz was hit by a car, leading to a lengthy hospital stay. Duritz, who visited his pal frequently, wrote this song — with its California imagery — after hanging out with some buddies late one night and before another hospital visit the next morning. "It's a song about looking back on your life and seeing changes happening, and for once me, looking forward and thinking, 'Ya know, things are gonna change for the better — 'maybe this year will be better than the last.'"