A 1998 alternative rock single by Semisonic, written by Dan Wilson, ostensibly about a closing bar but partly inspired by impending parenthood.
Composition
Closing Time was written by Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson, who has said the song was inspired in part by anticipating the birth of his first child, layered over imagery of bars closing for the night.
Reception
Released as the lead single from “Feeling Strangely Fine,” the track reached number one on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and the top thirty on the Hot 100. It earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Song in 1999.
Legacy
Closing Time has remained a fixture of late-1990s rock radio and a frequent soundtrack for last-call moments in films and television. Its closing refrain has been widely quoted in pop culture as a benediction for endings and new beginnings.