Song Review: "Lucky Denver Mint" by Jimmy Eat World

---

There’s always been something about Jimmy Eat World that has drawn me to them. I fondly remember hearing “The Middle” quite a lot on the radio growing up and even then, when I was much younger and knew nothing about them or music in general, it sounded good and special.

Jimmy Eat World has always been something of a legend within the emo scene; be it from their unabashedly true-to-themselves songs or their ability to break into the mainstream, they have been a constant source of love and enjoyment. For me, I have been more than happy to delve deeper and deeper into their impressive discography in the five plus years since I really started listening to them.

On “Lucky Denver Mint” the Arizona rockers are at their most sparkly, jangly, and captivating as soon as the clang of the drums open up the song. Released as a single off their third record, Clarity, “Lucky Denver Mint” quickly became a fan favorite, and over time, it came to be regarded as an emo staple.

On the musical side of the track, “Lucky Denver Mint” is a prime example of Jimmy Eat World’s skillful musicianship. During the recording of their sophomore album, Static Prevails, the band clashed with Capitol Records, and those issues spilled over to Clarity. Feeling they might not get the chance again, the band decided to get as experimental as they felt comfortable, and thus “Lucky Denver Mint” came to be.

Clarity is very much the band’s first foray into a more radio friendly, pop sound, but it in no way sacrifices what fans love about Jimmy Eat World. “Lucky Denver Mint” alone holds many of the band’s common themes; meaningful lyrics, impressive musical ability, and just enough emo bite. It’s a poppy-emo jam that is a definite ear worm, I mean, you try listening to it and forgetting that chorus.

Speaking of the chorus, there is the matter of the lyrics. “Lucky Denver Mint” has a lot of layers, a lot of symbolism, and a good deal of cryptic meanings. None of which are bad, it’s just a surprisingly complex song. The Denver Mint is a money mint where a good deal of money is minted, and apparently for coin collectors, the “D” printed on the back of coins makes them very valuable.

In this take, the Denver minted coin is seen as lucky and the narrator of the song wishes to make a wish with this supposed lucky coin. To me it sounds like the narrator is going through a hard time, possibly a break up, and is clinging to the hope and alleged luckiness of the coin to get through whatever it is.

“Lucky Denver Mint” is a beautifully written, performed, and sung song that inspires hope; hope in better days, or hope in better people. Whatever it is you’re looking for hope in, “Lucky Denver Mint” is just the song to inspire it,

The song, and the album it is on, marked a turning point in Jimmy Eat World’s place in the emo genre. It cemented their place as a wildly popular and influential group who can experiment and toy with their sound all while becoming more and more influential.

Since its 1998 release, “Lucky Denver Mint” has been noted as the band’s break out song, both within the emo scene and mainstream. Jimmy Eat World has only gotten better since as they have found themselves a comfortable space within the emo-alternative-pop world. If only the little kid I once was had heard this song, then I probably would have enjoyed a near life-long love for the band. Even now I am plenty happy to play this song over and over and over again.