The National – About Today Meaning

In this article, we’ll explore the meaning of About Today by The National. As of this writing, About Today is ranked 145.

‘About Today’ by The National is a song about the quiet unraveling of a relationship, as one partner senses distance growing but struggles to bridge the gap.

The music feels soft and sad, like a cloudy day when everything moves slowly. The theme is about two people drifting apart, even though they’re still right next to each other.

We can hear in the verses that someone notices their partner pulling away, yet they don’t know how to stop it—lines like “You just walked away / And I just watched you” make us feel stuck and helpless too. In the chorus, the repeated question “How close am I to losing you?” echoes that anxious feeling we get when we sense something slipping through our fingers but can’t do anything about it. There’s this heartbreaking moment, late at night, where one person tries to ask about the day, hoping for answers but knowing deep down that things have already changed.

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The core message creeps up on us: sometimes love fades not with a bang but with silence and distance. The song holds up a mirror to those moments when we realize what’s precious might already be gone—and all we can do is wonder how close we are to losing it forever.