Pop Songs about Winter
October 19, 2014 7:58 PM Subscribe
What are your favorite popular songs about winter that do NOT mention holidays?
So far, I have:
Winter Song - Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson
Hazy Shade of Winter - Simon and Garfunkel
... and that's it. There are some other really nice songs (Peppermint Winter by Owl City is cute) but if they mention any holidays they're not going to work for my purposes (I'm a music teacher programming a 100% secular winter concert).
So far, I have:
Winter Song - Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson
Hazy Shade of Winter - Simon and Garfunkel
... and that's it. There are some other really nice songs (Peppermint Winter by Owl City is cute) but if they mention any holidays they're not going to work for my purposes (I'm a music teacher programming a 100% secular winter concert).
The first that came to mind was Camera Obscura's cover of Jim Reeves' song The Blizzard. I've not heard the original, but I love their rendition of it, and it's secular AFAIK.
Oh and White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. Love that one.
posted by mrhaydel at 8:08 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
Oh and White Winter Hymnal by Fleet Foxes. Love that one.
posted by mrhaydel at 8:08 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
Let It Snow is pretty secular...
Also I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
posted by rouftop at 8:11 PM on October 19, 2014
Also I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
posted by rouftop at 8:11 PM on October 19, 2014
I'd say Arcade Fire's Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) is also wintery.
posted by mrhaydel at 8:13 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by mrhaydel at 8:13 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Baby It's Cold Outside?
posted by xingcat at 8:14 PM on October 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by xingcat at 8:14 PM on October 19, 2014 [2 favorites]
Well, most of Kate Bush's really lovely 2011 album 50 Words for Snow is winter-themed. Most notably Snowflake (required playing for the first snow of every year) and Misty (a song about a woman having a one-night-stand with a snowman. Kate Bush!)
posted by erlking at 8:17 PM on October 19, 2014
posted by erlking at 8:17 PM on October 19, 2014
Oh, wait, I see you're programming a secular winter concert. Presumably for children. Um, perhaps not Kate Bush's jazzy ode to snowman sex, then.
posted by erlking at 8:18 PM on October 19, 2014 [6 favorites]
posted by erlking at 8:18 PM on October 19, 2014 [6 favorites]
Quite a lot of songs from the Frozen soundtrack would qualify (and they would be a huge hit).
posted by acidic at 8:23 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by acidic at 8:23 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
California Dreamin'.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:36 PM on October 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:36 PM on October 19, 2014 [4 favorites]
"Winter Trees" by The Staves probably isn't quite right for your purposes. Probably the same for Tori Amos' "Winter". (I don't know the age group you're working with.)
Other options:
JJ72's "Snow"
Stars' "What the Snowman Learned About Love"
Sea Wolf's "Winter Windows"
From the song you've mentioned and what you've said, I'm not quite sure the genre/aesthetic you're going for. I'm sure there are a lot of others. Is "popular" (as in "pop") important? Is just mentioning winter/snow/etc. important? I'll see if I can think of others that may suit.
posted by darksong at 8:37 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
Other options:
JJ72's "Snow"
Stars' "What the Snowman Learned About Love"
Sea Wolf's "Winter Windows"
From the song you've mentioned and what you've said, I'm not quite sure the genre/aesthetic you're going for. I'm sure there are a lot of others. Is "popular" (as in "pop") important? Is just mentioning winter/snow/etc. important? I'll see if I can think of others that may suit.
posted by darksong at 8:37 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
More jazz than pop, but I love Over The Rhine's "Snowed in with You."
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:37 PM on October 19, 2014
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:37 PM on October 19, 2014
The 6ths, "Winter in July." It's not quite on point thematically, but it's a nice song that might be easy to do.
posted by Monsieur Caution at 8:38 PM on October 19, 2014
posted by Monsieur Caution at 8:38 PM on October 19, 2014
Song For A Winter's Night - Sarah McLachlan or Gordon Lightfoot
posted by clarkstonian at 8:39 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by clarkstonian at 8:39 PM on October 19, 2014 [3 favorites]
The lyrics for Jingle Bells do not mention any holidays.
Tracey Thorn does a song called Snow in Sun that might work.
posted by gudrun at 9:06 PM on October 19, 2014
Tracey Thorn does a song called Snow in Sun that might work.
posted by gudrun at 9:06 PM on October 19, 2014
Winter Tori Amos
posted by oceanview at 10:39 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by oceanview at 10:39 PM on October 19, 2014 [1 favorite]
I think White Winter Hymnal could potentially sound really lovely in a choral arrangement and would be fun to sing in a round, but be aware that the lyrics are kind of subtly grisly and sinister, which could be a pro or con depending.
Great Lake Swimmers' Gonna Make It Through This Year doesn't directly mention winter other than in the opening line ("I am six feet under snow"), and is more of a new year song, but might work for your purposes.
posted by yasaman at 10:53 PM on October 19, 2014
Great Lake Swimmers' Gonna Make It Through This Year doesn't directly mention winter other than in the opening line ("I am six feet under snow"), and is more of a new year song, but might work for your purposes.
posted by yasaman at 10:53 PM on October 19, 2014
Snowbound - Donald Fagen
The Hounds of Winter - Sting
Winter Birds - Ray LaMontagne
Winter in the Hamptons - Josh Rouse
posted by emelenjr at 10:55 PM on October 19, 2014
The Hounds of Winter - Sting
Winter Birds - Ray LaMontagne
Winter in the Hamptons - Josh Rouse
posted by emelenjr at 10:55 PM on October 19, 2014
Long December by Counting Crows and Violet Hill by Coldplay. Neither are about winter, per say, but they mention snow and December! (Maybe not school concert material though?)
posted by Grandysaur at 11:11 PM on October 19, 2014
posted by Grandysaur at 11:11 PM on October 19, 2014
Winterlong by Neil Young, although I mainly know the song from the Pixies' cover
Winter Lady by Leonard Cohen
15 Feet of Pure White Snow by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Driven Like the Snow by The Sisters of Mercy
posted by permafrost at 4:34 AM on October 20, 2014
Winter Lady by Leonard Cohen
15 Feet of Pure White Snow by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Driven Like the Snow by The Sisters of Mercy
posted by permafrost at 4:34 AM on October 20, 2014
Not sure how well it will work for your purposes, but I super-heart Last of the Falling Snow by The Leisure Society.
posted by Hartster at 4:47 AM on October 20, 2014
posted by Hartster at 4:47 AM on October 20, 2014
Snow Days by Trip Shakespeare might resonate with the kids if you're in a cold climate, as they'll understand the joy of school being cancelled.
posted by theory at 5:37 AM on October 20, 2014
posted by theory at 5:37 AM on October 20, 2014
Yoko Ono's "Listen, the Snow is Falling," which I know mainly from the cover by Galaxie 500.
Wendy & Bonnie - The Winter is Cold
Here are "The Winter is Cold" and "Snow Days" performed by the Flat Five.
posted by hydrophonic at 6:15 AM on October 20, 2014
Wendy & Bonnie - The Winter is Cold
Here are "The Winter is Cold" and "Snow Days" performed by the Flat Five.
posted by hydrophonic at 6:15 AM on October 20, 2014
The Halo Bender's "Snowfall," but yeah, not so much for the school concert.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:23 AM on October 20, 2014
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:23 AM on October 20, 2014
A Jagged Gorgeous Winter by The Main Drag.
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 6:33 AM on October 20, 2014
posted by banjo_and_the_pork at 6:33 AM on October 20, 2014
There is a compilation album called "On A Winter's Night" where most of the songs are about winter (but they might fall more on the folk side of pop).
"Tinsel and Lights" is an album by Tracey Thorn with some a mix of songs about winter and/or Christmas.
posted by mikepop at 7:19 AM on October 20, 2014
"Tinsel and Lights" is an album by Tracey Thorn with some a mix of songs about winter and/or Christmas.
posted by mikepop at 7:19 AM on October 20, 2014
Winterthru by Ad Frank & The Fast Easy Women
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:10 AM on October 20, 2014
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:10 AM on October 20, 2014
In our family, Jo Stafford's Ski Trails is a favorite.
posted by theora55 at 12:13 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by theora55 at 12:13 PM on October 20, 2014
Response by poster: Thanks for all of your input, everyone! Some of these look like they will work great.
posted by rossination at 1:04 PM on October 20, 2014
posted by rossination at 1:04 PM on October 20, 2014
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posted by sweetkid at 8:04 PM on October 19, 2014 [5 favorites]