We're all tryin' to tell you something about our lives

November 8, 2023 2:26 PM

Indigo Girls' recording of Closer To Fine is not on Barbie: The Album. Given its prominence in the plot of the film, this is odd. Included as a bonus track on a special version of Barbie is Closer To Fine by Brandi & Catherine Carlile. And I will say, I was not expecting to be moved to tears by a song I've known for nearly 40 years. But here we are.

Closer To Fine by Ingrid Michaelson is a single singer cover from a big television series. It's not bad.

Queen Bees are apparently from Norway, and have a very lovely take on the song. Maybe a Nordic answer to The Chicks? I miss them.

Sicko really puts the push behind the punch of the song.

The Smittens expertly help you take your life less seriously.

Toad The Wet Sprocket from earlier this year.

Kabul Unplugged presents "Closer To Fine" cover is a bit more of an amateur ensemble performing under more trying circumstances.

OneVoiceCharlotte is a choir that also sang just earlier this year.

Community sing-a-long choir PopUp Chorus in Durham has everyone singing with joy and gusto way back in the Before Times.

A bit more informal and spontaneous, Indigo Girls Closer To Fine (cover) in Portland Subway 2013, the people claiming the song as their own.

posted by hippybear (17 comments total)

What a lovely cover! Definitely needed a bit of weepy catharsis today, so thank you.
posted by merriment at 2:56 PM on November 8, 2023

The PopUp Chorus was so lovely!
posted by theBigRedKittyPurrs at 4:24 PM on November 8, 2023 [1 favorite]

Thank you for including the Sicko cover! That's my favorite, and was a very important song to me in high school.
posted by skycrashesdown at 4:36 PM on November 8, 2023 [2 favorites]

I know it can't be "nearly 40 years" because I saw them only a couple years after its release, and that would make me old. It came out 34 years and 8 months ago, and I'm rounding that to 30, dammit.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 6:05 PM on November 8, 2023 [6 favorites]

Let’s not forget Lore Sjöberg’s Your Roommate Plays the Indigo Girls. Originally a Flash doohickey whose protagonist would haltingly play random sections of the song before having to restart.
posted by lem at 6:09 PM on November 8, 2023 [15 favorites]

Mindy Smouse with a big group sing.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 6:27 PM on November 8, 2023

I am never not moved by one of these giant Choir! Choir! Choir!-style videos. I guess I am just a COVID-averse introvert with a secret desire to sing at the top of my lungs with 500 other people.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:20 PM on November 8, 2023 [7 favorites]

The Kabul Unplugged guys were good!
posted by ThatCanadianGirl at 7:26 PM on November 8, 2023

Given its prominence in the plot of the film, this is odd.

Probably chalk it up to the record company asking $X of dollars to have the song in the movie, but asking for $3X dollars to have it on the soundtrack. Getting permission from the songwriter to do a cover is cheaper.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 8:30 PM on November 8, 2023 [4 favorites]

I have listened to this song several times in a row (different versions) and I appreciate them all. (The Kabul guys aren't bad, but they needed help with tempo.)

But it makes me feel better, almost like I really, really needed to hear this song today. Thank you for the post.
posted by tuesdayschild at 9:17 PM on November 8, 2023

Oh this is just so lovely. This song has been such an unexpected part of the soundtrack to my life over the decades. From the queer awakening phase(s), the joyous phases, the mourning phases, the psychedelic phases, the philosophical confusion phases, the dark cathartic drunk ugly crying phases, the hopeful and restorative phases, to right now. It always has something that brings me back to center and gives room to be, no matter where I am, and never fails to bring a tear or more to my eye. Thank you for sharing this. And I'm really looking forward to working my way through the links
posted by treepour at 10:14 PM on November 8, 2023 [3 favorites]

-Closer to Fine - Brandi & Catherine Carlile @ The Hollywood Bowl 10/14/23 Barbie Movie Indigo Girls
-Indigo Girls: Tiny Desk Concert
posted by kliuless at 11:07 PM on November 8, 2023

I could definitely do a personal "You're Wrong About" episode about this song. I sneered at it so hard when it came out, and now I think it's lovely.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:58 PM on November 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

Getting permission from the songwriter to do a cover is cheaper.

Getting permission is not required. You can just can get a mechanical license and pay the set fees (Selling mechanical licenses is what CD Baby does now).
posted by srboisvert at 5:35 PM on November 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

> > Lore Sjöberg

this name is an ancient relic from lost times
posted by bombastic lowercase pronouncements at 6:35 PM on November 10, 2023 [2 favorites]

I mean, it's worth pointing out that Brandi Carlile is definitely having a bit of a moment right now, and that is always a consideration when deciding who to use on a movie soundtrack. Also, like she has a pre-existing relationship with the Indigo Girls, having toured with them, sang on each-other's albums, etc. She is a super obvious and natural choice to use for the album, based on her own work as a musician, not just as a cheaper alternative.

I was lucky enough to see her live at Red Rocks this summer, and she definitely deserves to be having a moment. It was an absolutely amazing performance, like every single element of it was amazing: the music; the arrangements; her regular band; the other musicians; her stage presence; the flow of the set, all of it was absolutely magical. She has been absolutely honing her craft for the last 20+ years and it shows. I love her recordings, but the absolute power of her live performances is something that can't be understated.
posted by Gygesringtone at 12:53 PM on November 11, 2023 [2 favorites]

Over stated. Not under.
posted by Gygesringtone at 1:18 PM on November 11, 2023