Closer to Fine

"Closer to Fine" is a folk single by Indigo Girls, an American songwriting duo consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The single, released in 1989 from their eponymous second album, was written by Saliers and performed by Saliers and Ray. The song primarily speaks to the search for meaning in life. "Closer to Fine" was reviewed favorably, and appeared in the 2023 film Barbie.

"Closer to Fine"
Single by Indigo Girls
from the album Indigo Girls
GenreFolk
Songwriter(s)Emily Saliers

Composition

"Closer to Fine" is written by Emily Saliers, half of the Indigo Girls duo. Both Saliers and Amy Ray, the other band member, play acoustic guitar and sing on this track, giving the song a melody and a countermelody.[1][2] The lyrics, termed by Trish Bendix of The New York Times as "slightly inscrutable", center around the search for meaning in life introspectively and in the wider world. The verses of the song, which are sung over four chords, build to the chorus, louder and resting an octave higher:[2][3]

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountains
There's more than one answer to these questions
Pointing me in a crooked line.
And the less I seek my source for some definitive,
Closer I am to fine.[4]

The song does not directly answer the question of meaning, instead advising to take life less seriously – one lyric reads "it's only life, after all". In an interview with The New York Times, Saliers said she felt that the song advised making life a little better by seeking small pieces of knowledge from a wide variety of sources, instead of looking for a universal truth in one place.[3][4]

Reception

Reception for "Closer to Fine" was generally positive. In 2016, NME ranked it 15th on its list of the 50 best tracks of 1989.[5] Billboard ranked it 17th on its list of the 65 best LGBTQ anthems.[6] Reviewers have hailed "Closer to Fine" as a road trip song: Maria Lorusso of All Things Considered argues that the friendship between Ray and Saliers, and the melody/counter-melody singing it gives rise to, gives the song "extremely high singalong potential".[1] Saliers agreed with the idea an interview, commenting that "it's got a very easy melody and really easy chorus, and the chorus repeats".[3]

"Closer to Fine" experienced a resurgence in popularity when it was featured on the 2023 film Barbie. It was played on three occasions in the film, first as the song that plays when the titular character takes a road trip to leave Barbieland for the real world. It also appears in the trailer. Reviewers noted that the song was an anomaly among tracks by contemporary pop stars such as Dua Lipa and Lizzo, but spoke positively to its placement in the movie. Brandi Carlile covered the song with backup vocals from her wife in the film's accompanying soundtrack, although the original is the version that appears in the movie.[3]

References
  1. Thompson, Stephen; Lorusso, Maria (June 19, 2023). "Three songs for the perfect summer road trip playlist". All Things Considered. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  2. Sullivan, Steve (2013). "Closer to Fine (1989)—Indigo Girls". Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings. Scarecrow Press. p. 247. ISBN 9780810882966.
  3. Bendix, Trish (July 24, 2023). "How the Indigo Girls brought Barbie 'Closer to Fine'". The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  4. Polgreen, Lydia (August 8, 2023). "Why is everyone suddenly listening to a staple of my angsty adolesence?". The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  5. "NME's best albums and tracks of 1989". NME. October 10, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  6. "65 top LGBTQ+ anthems of all time". Billboard. June 2, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
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