One Of These Things First - Nick Drake

One Of These Things First - Nick Drake 

3:46
Bryter Layter, 1971
Written by Nick Drake

In this intricate, melodic pop song, Drake starts by playfully exploring some imaginative hypotheticals: he could have been a sailor, a cook, even a whistle or a boot or a flute.  But in the center of the song, the surreal "could haves" start to reveal some deceptively weighty regrets.  "I could have been your pillar, could have been your door / Could have stayed beside you / Could have stayed for more."  Suddenly we're snapped back to reality, lost love, and self-recrimination as baroque pop melody continues to bubble along.  It's a perfect Nick Drake song, quiet and understated, a blend of whimsy and melancholy.