3 Emotional Rock Songs From the 2000s That Feature Iconic Bands Grappling With Time

Emotional rock songs about time are nothing new. But in the 2000s, three iconic bands grappled with loss and an uncertain future both internally and externally. Blur and Oasis had survived their hyped Britpop war, but each group seemed to be existing on shaky ground as they prepared their respective seventh studio albums. For Dave Grohl, he was three LPs into his second act in Foo Fighters. But as his band’s fourth album loomed, there was no guarantee they would survive long enough to complete it. Let’s revisit how these musicians documented a fraught period.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Times Like These” by Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl wrote “Times Like These” when he felt he’d reached a crossroads in his life. Though there’s much uncertainty and anxiety when one arrives at such an intersection, Grohl chose to write an optimistic anthem. The driving track is a reminder that the future isn’t just about what can go wrong. More often, things go right, and it’s times like these, we learn to live again, he sings. It appears on Foo Fighters’ 2002 album One By One. Dave Grohl is famous for many things, but survival has become central to his story.

“Out Of Time” by Blur

Blur’s melancholy ballad is the band’s first single not to feature the guitarist Graham Coxon. During initial recording sessions, Coxon had entered rehab, and when he returned, tensions between him and the rest of the band led to his eventual exit. In “Out Of Time”, Damon Albarn seems to reference his bandmate’s distance. But there’s an existential worry in Albarn’s voice as he sings about a world spinning out of time. Uneasy noises are heard behind the gorgeous melodies, echoing the tension many felt as war raged in the Middle East following the September 11 attacks on the United States.

“I’m Outta Time” by Oasis

Oasis has never been shy about its admiration for John Lennon. For the Manchester band’s seventh and final studio album before breaking up, Liam Gallagher penned a psychedelic ballad that not only pays homage to Lennon but also samples his voice. In the sample, the Beatle explains, in one of his final interviews, his decision to leave England for New York. Regarding England, Lennon says, “Do you think it’s gonna vanish? It’s not going to be there when I get back?” Meanwhile, before Lennon speaks, Gallagher sings, “I’m outta time.” It’s a moving highlight as Oasis was nearing its own ending.

Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images