Fall is like the light at the end of a tunnel. A safe haven from the miserable heat of summer before we are thrown into a cold tundra of darkness and sickness. 

I appreciate fall for many reasons, one is the safety it provides from summer, but I also enjoy watching scary movies and freely enjoying hot drinks again without the threat of heat stroke. My favorite thing to do, however, is seeing how the trees change colors on my way to school. I adore watching fall paint the leaves orange, red and yellow, and I never go anywhere without my headphones, so I especially cherish listening to music on my walks. 

This playlist is full of songs perfect for a long walk to watch nature transition to its next phase. 

Ingydar- Adrianne Lenker

This artist is one of my favorites. All her songs remind me of fall for various reasons, but mostly the homey safe feeling the tone of her voice carries. This is heard best in her song “Ingydar.”

This song is about the passage of time, with the chorus saying, “Everything eats and is eaten/ Time is fed.” This reminds me especially about watching the passage of time during the transition seasons like autumn and spring. Fall especially is a special time of the year where the cycle of the season transitions from the warm liveliness of summer to the barren chill of winter. 

Most people are scared of change, but Lenker paints it with a coat of comfort and fully accepts change and death as simply part of the cycle. I find this very calming and this song especially reminds me of watching the leaves change and the plants in my garden die. Because even though I’m sad about my plants, death is just a part of the cycle that makes spring when I get to replant my fruits, flowers and vegetables more worth it. 

High On A Rocky Ledge- Moondog

In this song, Moondog paints a story about climbing a mountain to meet a Mädel Edelweiß. Mädel is German for girl, and Edelweiß is a flower growing high in the Alps. In English we would spell it edelweiss. 

Edelweiss traditionally has meaning as a symbol of love and dedication. On the mountain, he pledges his love for her. The song takes a turn when he chooses to stay with her, “Now, I’m an Edel, vice to my Mädel, Edelweiß/ Dying to be with her wasn’t any sacrifice.” “Edel” is German for “Noble,” so “Edel, vice”. Which is interesting because noble means to have fine personal qualities or high moral principles and ideals and vice means immoral or wicked behavior. This makes the line a bilingual oxymoron.

Then the listener visits him and his love. “You who are climbing breathless to see me and my love/ Snow flowers growing fonder on Lover’s Ledge above/ If you’ve the yen to pluck, then pluck us both/ For we who have lived as one wish to die as one.” Though tragic, this is such a beautiful love story. I find the mix of German and English within the lyrics fascinating, and I adore the whole song. It feels like a story.

Like the calmness of fall his voice sounds so comforting, like a cup of tea. Edelweiss flowers are extremely resilient and can grow under the harshest conditions. I think we can take this mindset as we get deeper into fall and the weather gets worse. 

Witchy Woman- Eagles

“Witchy Woman” by Eagles describes a woman with raven hair and ruby lips who drove herself  “mad” with a silver spoon. This song was inspired by Zelda Fitzgerald who owned a special slotted silver spoon used to dissolve sugar cubes with absinthe, the then-popular alcoholic beverage distilled from the wormwood tree that sometimes caused hallucinations. This can also be in reference to the fact Fitzgerald was figuratively born with a silver spoon in her mouth due to her parents’ wealth.  

I really enjoy this song because of its funky charm. They really paint a picture of a “witchy women.” My favorite lyric is “Well I know you want a lover/ Let me tell you brother, she’s been sleeping in the devil’s bed.” I feel like these lyrics flow so nicely together, and I often get this part of the song stuck in my head. 

The rhythmic but slow tone to this song reminds me a lot of fall, and witches would absolutely adore this song. I also appreciate when songs have stories behind them and double meanings. Since all the other songs are a calmer, sadder pace, this song stands out. 

Halloween- Phoebe Bridgers

“Halloween” by Phoebe Bridgers is actually my favorite song by her. I love how poetically she spins her words together, and her voice is otherworldly and beautiful.

 “Sick of questions I keep asking you / They make you live in the past / But I can count on you to tell me the truth / When you’ve been drinking and you’re wearing a mask.” In the song, Bridgers explores the struggle of moving on. She uses Halloween as a metaphor for being drunk, referring to the feeling of being drunk as being like a mask, and reminding her lover in the chorus that because it’s Halloween, they can be anything. By the end of the song, she lets go, but continues to tell them she will be whatever they want. This song breaks my heart because it is so tragic, and Bridger’s sorrowful voice does not help.

I really love how metaphorical this song is, with the use of masks and Halloween to show how you don’t have to be yourself. The other theme I like is the idea of doing anything for love. In the song Bridgers said she surprised herself by what she would do for love, and she repeats that she will be whoever her lover wants. This song is extremely smart, and even though the metaphors are straight forward, I find myself being impressed by Bridger’s lyrics. 

All of these songs echo fall to me. Each singer has a calming way to their voice that emulates this season. I hope if you are reading this that you can also find enjoyment in watching the seasons shift and that you find music that makes you feel excited for this seasonal transformation.