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Live Local Music

Karen’s Song of the Week: “Days Go By” by Keith Urban

Posted by Karen Marchuska on 09/18 at 03:40 PM

Although most people hate to admit it, everybody still watches American Idol.  Even after 11 seasons we still find ourselves glued to the TV to watch the hilariously terrible open auditions and see Ryan Seacrest, so I’m sure you’ve all heard about the new judges - Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Keith Urban - that were announced earlier this week.  Since most people are pretty familiar with the work of Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, as they’re all over Top-40 radio, I decided to put a nice little spotlight onto country crooner Keith Urban.

Urban’s first big release in the country music scene was his 1999 self-titled album, which produced three singles in the top five of Billboard’s country chart.  Since then, he has released a total of nine studio albums and charted more than 10 singles on the US country charts, firmly planting himself as one of country’s most respected gentlemen.  We haven’t heard much from Urban since his 2010 release Get Closer, as he’s been busy laying low with his wife, Nicole Kidman and two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

My Song of the Week, “Days Go By” comes from his 2004 album Be Here.  This song is really upbeat and uplifting, with peppy drum and banjo lines carrying the momentum throughout.  Without that banjo it could almost pass for a solid soft-rock song, which is probably, along with the great message, why it appealed to so many people.  Urban wrote this song after a stint in rehab for drug addiction, so the meaning is simple: “You better start livin right now, cause days go by.”  Hopefully he’ll be able to instill this in the minds of the young American Idol hopefuls as they begin their journey to become the next big thing.

You can check out Keith Urban on the web here and watch him in the new season of American Idol starting in January 2013.