▁town ▁and ▁pulling ▁pr anks . ▁Disc uss ing ▁" In ▁This ▁Di ary ", ▁Ro e ▁said ▁he ▁st tem pt ed ▁to ▁" enc aps ulate ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁fun ▁sum mers ▁we ’ ve ▁had ". ▁Ro e ▁wrote ▁" My ▁Rep ly " ▁about ▁a ▁fan ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁hospital ▁and ▁close ▁to ▁death . ▁" Un open ed ▁Let ter ▁to ▁the ▁World " ▁details ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁American ▁poet ▁Em ily ▁Dick inson . ▁" The ▁S add est ▁Song " ▁is ▁about ▁Ro e ' s ▁relationship ▁with ▁his ▁est r anged ▁daughter ▁and ▁his ▁up br ing ing ▁without ▁a ▁father . ▁" The ▁Hero ▁Dies ▁in ▁This ▁One " ▁refers ▁to ▁past ▁girl fri ends ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁left ▁behind . ▁Coll ura ▁said ▁" The ▁Boys ▁of ▁Summer " ▁was ▁included ▁due ▁to ▁Ro e ' s ▁nost alg ia ▁for ▁it , ▁and ▁" it ▁just ▁kind ▁of ▁fit ▁into ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁record ." ▁Ro e ▁wrote ▁" Look ing ▁Back ▁on ▁Today " ▁about ▁his ▁wife , ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁the ▁sole ▁relationship - cent ric ▁song ▁on ▁the ▁album . ▁Ro e ▁said ▁" E ight ▁of ▁N ine " ▁is ▁about ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁" re ally ▁close ▁calls ▁that ▁we ' ve ▁had ▁with ▁death ." ▁ ▁Release ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁it ▁was ▁announced ▁that ▁So ▁Long , ▁Ast oria ▁would ▁be ▁released ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0