1967 Folk-Pop Ballad, Written by a Teenager, Became a Melancholy Anthem Decades Later
It's not uncommon for a song to have been recorded by multiple artists, with some gaining more popularity than others. In 1967, singer-songwriter Nico released a ballad that was originally written years prior by a 16-year-old and later regained popularity thanks to a hit film.
"These Days" has quite the backstory behind its creation and its first recording. The track was written by Jackson Browne when he was only 16 years old, with the lyrics about loss and regret. According to Far Out magazine, Browne said it was "not a heavy song or particularly revelatory. It was just telling my truth, the truth of my life."
It would be years until the song saw the light of day when it was recorded by Nico for her 1967 album Chelsea Girl. By the late '60s, Browne had become a prolific songwriter with Nina Music Publishing having a long demo album of his songs to promote to other artists. According to reports, Browne's track was on a list with demos by Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, and John Cale for Nico to consider. It's also said that Browne was romantically linked to the singer at the time.
"These Days" was picked as one of the recordings, with Nico's style having changed its original soulful folk style with the addition of well-known electric guitar finger-picking. At the time, Nico was being managed by Andy Warhol, who was looking for a more modern track for the singer. To this day, Nico calls the track "unlistenable" due to its various changes and not getting what she wanted.
"I still cannot listen to it, because everything I wanted for that record, they took it away. I asked for drums, they said no. I asked for more guitars, they said no. And I asked for simplicity, and they covered it in flutes!" she said.
The track never reached the Billboard charts despite its popularity among fans. Browne later released his own recording in 1973 at the same time that rock musician Gregg Allman released his. Both tracks weren't released as singles but got considerable airplay on rock radio stations and became a staple in Allman's solo act.
Nico's recording of "These Days" would regain massive popularity decades later when it was included in the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums. Browne recalled how he had forgotten that he had given the licensing permission to use the song, and was stunned when he heard the track in movie theaters. Nico's version gained further popularity when included in both versions of the movie soundtrack and later became a TikTok staple.
Related: 1972 Soul Ballad, Originally Dismissed as a Hit Track, Became a No.1 Heartbreak Anthem
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 12:24 PM.