My Top 1000 Songs #348: One Of These Things First

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.]

Time for a second pick off Nick Drake's fabulous 1971 sophomore LP Bryter Later. "One Of These Things First" is a marvel of British folk music, with classical strains. The intricate fugue-like interplay of the guitar and piano is a reminder that Drake was more than just a uniquely singular songwriter and vocalist; the music here is stunning even aside from the overlay of that distinctive voice. (It kinda reminds me of what Phish would explore a decade and a half later on their touchstone "You Enjoy Myself.")

I imagine a lot of people were introduced to the track by the Garden State soundtrack--damn, Zach Braff made some amazing calls on that one, whatever one thinks of the film itself--confirming how the song's magic transcends its moment.

The Bangles' Susanna Hoffs offered a lovely version on her 2021 covers album:

There seems to be a cottage industry in tributes to the song on YouTube; here's a particularly intriguing one: