Song of the Day 11/27: Big Star, “Thank You Friends”
Finding stuff to feel thankful for might be more difficult than usual this year, but you can take some inspiration from Alex Chilton, who wrote “Thank You Friends” for Big Star’s third album and then saw it sit on a shelf unreleased for years.
Big Star’s first two albums were widely admired but sold miserably due to record company incompetence, so “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you” isn’t the compliment it might seem on the surface. It’s Chilton’s snide middle finger to an industry that let down. That’s not the spirit in which people hear the song nowadays – public stations end pledge drives with it – but sometimes it fits the situation.
Just a week ago, Jeff Tweedy played in Memphis, where he closed the show with “Thank You Friends.” Big Star drummer Jody Stephens sat in on drums while Tweedy’s usual drummer, his son Spencer, took the lead vocal.
