The Ukulele Alphabet: Strange Condition by Pete Yorn

Letter Y, Week 1
“Strange Condition” by Pete Yorn

We are down to the final four songs of the Ukulele Alphabet and I almost started this post saying, “I promise you that this is the last ‘90s alterna-nostalgia song of the project” but WHOOOPS, musicforthemorningafter is not a ‘90s album!

It just feels like it in all the best ways.

But I know for a fact that this album was released in the ‘00s because it was one of the first albums my now-husband (you know, Dan) and I listened to when we were just getting together and being in looooove.

I had just moved in with some college friends in a rather fancy apartment complex in Jersey City in October 2001, in the shadow of the ruins of the World Trade Center. And I was hustling my butt off at a temp receptionist job at a movie production company in the city, getting up early for my commute into Midtown.

Dan worked nights at a newspaper (remember those?), so he got to sleep in and have a leisurely morning before heading down to central Jersey.

After I left for the day, he’d wake up on his own and play a few games of classic Nintendo on my ORIGINAL ‘80s NES in my bedroom while listening to my Pete Yorn CD in my five-disc CD changer stereo.

Even now, when I put my signed vinyl copy of musicforthemorningafter on our fancy Bluetooth turntable, I think of those strange post 9/11 days and how we ended up here from there.

And if none of this is a blast from the past for you, you’re too young! (Just kidding. Sort of.)

Listen to the original version of “Strange Condition”:

What’s the Ukulele Alphabet?

Read all about my 2025 ukulele performance project (and its rules) here.

I want to A-B-SEEEE some more!

Watch all the performances in the Ukulele Alphabet project.