When I moved to New England a couple years ago, everyone told me to watch out for the deadly winters and the endless snow, but since I love snow I was just excited. Unfortunately, every year I have been disappointed. This year, it’s 65 degrees on the last day of November!
So, in honor of the harsh winters of the past, and in hopes of actually getting some snow before I go home for Christmas, here are a few of my favorite songs about the cold of winter.
I Was a Kaleidoscope – Death Cab for Cutie
This is one of the songs that made me fall in love with Death Cab. I had heard a couple of their early songs, but didn’t really get into them until the late summer of 2001 right as The Photo Album was released. It is probably still my favorite of their albums, and this might be my favorite song off it. Like most of their best ones, its strength comes from the little details: the cold soaking through your shoes, snow on your glasses, and the moment when it all comes crashing down (“This is when I forget to breathe…”).
Valley Winter Song – Fountains of Wayne
The first real concert I ever went to was the Smashing Pumpkins on their Mellon Collie tour (the one where the keyboardist overdosed and the whole tour got pushed back four months), and Fountains of Wayne opened for them. I’ve been a fan ever since, and this is probably my favorite song by them. I like pretty pop songs and this is about as good an example of the genre as I can imagine. Here’s hoping that soon the snow will be coming down on this New England town.