Spring has sprung in Oregon, which brings an abundance of rain and the patience of holding out for sun. This time of the year always feels so long. Fall and winter sports are all finished and there aren’t as many school events to attend.
As a senior, it’s just a waiting game until graduation. To soften the blow of an exhausting season, I enjoy the higher UV and flowers that are beginning to bloom, accompanied by some great songs that are of the season. I’m excited to share these because a majority of them are from my favorite artists of all time.
“Wildflowers” – Tom Petty
Speaking of flowers, what better way to start this playlist than with Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” from his 1994 album of the same name. This song feels like spring to me because it makes me think about my dad, whose birthday is in early March. He, as a person, reminds me of spring. Growing up, I would always listen to Petty off of his Walkman whenever I’d go on my long bus rides to school. This connection solidified its place for me on this list.
The three chord progression is repetitive as Petty reminisces on the Santa Barbara countryside: “You belong among the wildflowers/You belong in a boat out at sea/You belong with your love on your arm/You belong somewhere you feel free.” I really love the dichotomy of this track because it manages to pack a punch while being relatively simple.
Petty is an excellent songwriter. He keeps his tone conversational and maintains strong emotions in all of his music. “Wildflowers” is perfect for this playlist because it’s about welcoming the beauty and intricacies of discovering fulfillment in the gorgeous springtime scenery.
“All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)” – Hank Williams Jr.
This season is synonymous with finalizing college decisions. As we creep further into the end of the school year, I see more and more commitment posts online. It’s so interesting to see where people I’ve known since elementary end up taking their futures.
“All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down)” by Hank Williams Jr. is about the melancholy of watching everyone around you grow up and mature into themselves. Williams Jr. originally wrote the song about the noticeable change in the country music genre around the 1980s as all of the outlaw-country artists were getting older, like Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.
This song makes me so nostalgic. I love how Williams Jr. waxes poetic about the good old days, and I feel like spring is definitely a time of reflection for most people: “And it seems like none of us do things quite like we used to do/And nobody wants to get high on the town/And all my rowdy friends have settled down.”
“Sister Golden Hair” – America
Track 24, “Sister Golden Hair” on America’s 28-song album, Here & Now is an absolute staple to listen to as the weather begins to clear up. I began to grow my CD collection last Christmas after my parents gifted me a lot of their old discs. Here & Now was one of those that really stuck out to me. I love to listen to it in the car as the sunny breeze pummels against my cracked-open windows.
It’s interesting lyrics juxtapose against the happy-sounding instrumentals which creates a dynamic sound unlike anything else: “Well, I tried to make it Sunday, but I got so damn depressed/That I set my sights on Monday and I got myself undressed.” I feel like even its name makes it a perfect fit for this playlist, “Sister Golden Hair” has such a springtime-y feel.
Like all of the tracks included on this inventory, it’s a guitar-driven melody that puts an emphasis on lyricism.
“April Come She Will” – Simon & Garfunkel
I believe without a doubt that this song is the perfect anthem for spring. “April Come She Will” is from British duo Simon & Garfunkel’s 1966 record, Old Friends. I think it is a good closing song for this list because it presents the transition into summer. As it was originally inspired by an old English nursery rhyme, the three verses go poetically from April to June to August: “April, come she will/June, she’ll change her tune/August, die she must.”
I’m just such a fan of Simon & Garfunkel in general, and I am so happy that I get to include them in this list. There truly is no better folk singer to come out of their era. I love visualizing the months as tangible figures; it makes the weather feel as if it is a reflection of their personalities.
These tracks come together to create the ideal playlist for spring because they all include different factors of the season: warmth, floral elements, and growing up. I welcome the sunny disposition of the coming season and reject the trickle-down effect that winter brings.
