X/Z Song Trader: "Love You For A Long Time"
A Gen X Rocker Discusses Music With His Gen Z Daughter
About X/Z Song Trader: Steve is a music journalist, author and musician. Lucy is a diehard music fan and college student. They have always enjoyed a father/daughter bond over music. Each week one of them picks a song and they both share their perspectives. These are casual conversations based on musical connections. Opinions are their own. Keeping it positive.
Check out the whole X/Z Song Trader series.
Lucy’s Perspective
Maggie Rogers is one of those artists whose name floated around in my peripheral listening for a long time before I actually ever gave her a shot.
Though I can definitely credit one of my good friends for the discovery of this song in particular, the first Maggie Rogers song I heard and loved was her cover of “Iris” (by the Goo Goo Dolls) with Phoebe Bridgers.
That track was a bit of a phenomenon in the Phoebe Bridgers world and was only available on Soundcloud, which made it feel like a relic to find and enjoy. After loving that cover so much, I was more open to Maggie Rogers as a musical artist and my friend took it from there.
“Love You For A Long Time” is one of those classic-sounding songs that just feels like a good time.
I find myself drawn to it most on bike rides around campus or when I’m put on aux in the car. For me, this song is a beautiful combination of sweet music and lyrics that perfectly coincide with the feeling of the song itself.
And in the mornin' when I'm wakin' up
I swear that you're the first thing that I'm thinkin' of
I feel it in my body, know it in my mind, oh, I
I'm gonna love you for a long time
I really appreciate how sweet and sugary those lyrics are. “Love You For A Long Time” feels like a poem of gratitude to me where Rogers is expressing a kind of love that feels worthwhile and satisfying.
Like Bridgers’ “Kyoto,” this is another song that I think will always feel perfect to me. It has a sort of balance to it that I haven’t found in many songs before. This is a classic Maggie Rogers song and felt well rounded for this week's Song Trader, but some of my other favorites are “Dawns” with Zach Bryan, “The Kill,” and “Horses.”
Don't slow this down, never let me go
Baby, don't you wanna see how far this thing can go?
It’s so special to me to be able to credit so many of my musical discoveries to the important people in my life.
Although I know you have done a lot of individual song discovery in your life, I wonder how this song resonates with the kind of music you love? I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this song and this conversation!
Steve’s Perspective
I always expect to hear this one when you’ve got control of the car stereo.
It’s undeniably great driving music. From the hooky backing vocal melody, to the mid-tempo bass-drum groove, and the laid back guitar strumming and piano. And, of course, Rogers’ vocal performance, delivering the heartfelt lyrics with a sort of contemplative earnestness that only the best singer-songwriters can pull off.
Part of the appeal for me is the timeless sentiment and sound. Is it a ‘70s singer-songwriter hit that I somehow missed? Easy to imagine this song being everywhere back then. A one hit wonder from the Lilith Fair late ‘90s? I could maybe picture Jewel or Lisa Loeb singing it. An early 2000s cover of a Stevie Nicks deep cut from the early ‘80s? I’d believe it.
A lot of that went through my head the first few times you played it for me. I couldn’t quite figure out what it reminded me of, but it definitely tickled some pleasant musical memories in my brain. It’s not a perfect comparison, but I finally decided it was the general feel of mid-career Talking Heads.
These days I just appreciate it as a pretty perfect song in its own right.
And I totally agree with you about the poetic lyrics, which—as I mentioned above—are significantly elevated by Roger’s vocal delivery. In particular, I love how the dynamics shift from the verses into the pre-chorus and chorus.
In terms of specific lyrics that jump out at me, I think these lines resonate most:
Oh, I never knew it, yeah, you took me by surprise
While I was gettin' lost so deep inside your diamond eyes
So many things that I still wanna say
And if devotion is a river, then I'm floatin' away
And I really appreciate the layers of meaning for “love” that she explores here. On the surface, this comes across as the kind of romantic missive that is so common in Adult Contemporary pop music, but Rogers has often said that it’s just as much about the deep relationships she has formed with her band and her fans as anything else.
Probably my favorite thing about how much you enjoy this track is that it reminds me of the kind of music your mom has always loved.
It’s a beautiful thing when I hear her music tastes quietly handed down to you and your sister. You and I might share a musical bond that we explore in this series, but I never want to overlook how much you and your mom connect through music as well.
I guess we’re just a music-loving family, and I think that’s fantastic. Thanks for picking another great track.
I love this series.