September is gone. The last of the summer months have passed us by. The leaves are falling, and so is the temperature. The orange we see in the trees is as deep as the orange of the pumpkins on your neighbor’s porch. As the world around us changes, I’m sure your music taste does too. If we are in any way similar, I have a playlist for every emotion, day of the week, and season. As the time for sweaters and apple cider rolls around, I think it is time to bring out my Autumn selection. “Music That Captures The Essence Of Autumn'' is a complete playlist of songs that fit many fall aesthetics. The “Vibes” that the playlist gives off could easily be described as; “Cozy, Crackling, and Warm” or “Haunting, and eerie, but incredibly beautiful”. These songs could make you feel as if you’re curled up by the fire with a good book, or exploring the graveyard with a flashlight in your hand.
The selection itself is full of different music by different artists, with backstories that you may not have known before. (The entire playlist itself could be found under the “UCPL.Teens” Spotify account, or this link: Music That Captures The Essence of Fall ). For now, enjoy a non-exhaustive list of many of the best songs on the playlist, ( sorted by artist) and some of the reasons as to why they were chosen to be featured in the selection.
Stevie Nicks ( And Fleetwood Mac)
Kind Of Woman - A truly ethereal song from an ethereal woman. Stevie Nicks never ceases to amaze me. She is the true White Witch. I could talk about her for decades and never get tired. The song follows Stevie, who finds out her husband is cheating, and while he tries to justify his actions she slowly realizes that this woman will never go away, and that their relationship will never be the same. “You didn't mean to meet her you cry
Oh but the sun goes down every night, She came to you when you were alone
And yes she matters to you, Kind of woman that'll haunt you
Kind of woman that'll haunt you, She matters to you”
Sisters of The Moon - A piece by the band, Fleetwood Mac. It shows the relationship between two witches. A song fit for Halloween, as it takes place on a full moon with the two sisters in their black robes, ready to dance in the magic of the moonlight.
“Intense silence, as she walked in the room, Her black robes trailing, Sister of the moon”
“Some call her sister of the moon, Some say, illusions are her game, They like to wrap her in velvet, Does anyone, ooh, know her name”
Crystal - An incredibly incandescent song about a fire in you, that has burned for so long, and finally realizing that it is a love for someone you never realized you felt (“Do You Always Trust Your First Initial Feeling?”). The Song is used in the 1998 classic “Practical Magic” Starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Diane Wiest, and Stockard Channing. A movie about two sisters who use their witchcraft to overcome many obstacles in life.
“Do you always trust your first initial feeling, Special knowledge holds truth bears believing, I turned around, And the water was closing all around, Like a glove, Like the love that had finally, finally found me, Then I knew, In the crystalline knowledge of you”
Rhiannon - The true backstory of this timeless song is that in 1975, Stevie Nicks read a book about the Welsh goddess “Rhiannon”. She was so inspired by this being that she wrote the song, (Traditionally, Rhiannon: Will you Ever Win?). A few months go by since the release, and she begins to receive letters from fans. Many loved the song, Some hated the song, and some believed she herself was a witch. Upon seeing the accusations, Nicks decides to completely embrace it. Wearing all black flowy outfits on stage, dancing around in outfits of all white and lace, (Earning her the title of the White Witch), and eventually performing the song with such passion and power that people believe she is performing a ritual for the crowd.
“Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night, And wouldn't you love to love her?, Takes to the sky like a bird in flight, And who will be her lover? All your life you've never seen, Woman taken by the wind, Would you stay if she promised you heaven?, Will you ever win?, She is like a cat in the dark, And then she is to darkness, She rules her life like a, fine skylark, And when the sky is starless, All your life you've never seen, Woman taken by the wind, Would you stay if she promised you heaven? Will you ever win?”
Carole King & James Taylor
Where You Lead - Featured as the theme song to the iconic Autumn show, Gilmore Girls, Where You Lead is a song of love and loyalty, perfectly fitting the theme of the show itself. King’s entire discography is, and has always been on theme with the fall season. In fact, her hit single “You’ve got a friend” is perfect for a walk home in the cool fall rain. “You’ve Got a friend” was covered by a similar artist by the name of James Taylor.
Fire And Rain - On the topic of James Taylor, this song is not specifically considered a song for fall, though I do believe the rhythm and tempo, as well as the instrumentals itself fit the aesthetics you would be looking for this season.
Nat King Cole - Autumn Leaves - Pretty self-explanatory, A song about the beauty of the autumn leaves that fall as you walk past. An oldie but a goodie, this song always puts a smile on my face.
Oingo Boingo - Dead Man’s Party - This song is perfect for your next Halloween party, it is quite literally a song about a ghost party! Lively, upbeat, and coincidentally, the lead singer of Oingo Boingo is Danny Elfman. Danny Elfman just happens to be the voice of, Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas and the lead composer of all the songs in the film, he also later became Tim Burton's “right hand man” and can be seen in the credits of most of Burton’s films as “Lead Composer”.
Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot - A song not directly related to Autumn, however it does have that vibe. As it was featured on the show Daisy Jones and the Six (Also a novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid) with a very vintage feel, it almost transports you to the 70’s.
Bon Jovi - (You Want To) Make A Memory - An incandescent song about reuniting with the person you love and reliving the memories you once made. Jon Bon Jovi perfectly encapsulates the feeling of missing someone so well that I get emotional hearing this piece. He is very much in my top three favorite artists, (Alongside Stevie Nicks and Heart)
Heart - Alone - A hauntingly unique song about unrequited love. The woman in the story waits endlessly for the man to notice her, asking “How do I get you alone?” She keeps her love a secret and it chills her to the bone that he doesn’t already know. I hear the ticking of the clock
“I'm lying here the room's pitch dark, I wonder where you are tonight, No answer on the telephone”
“Till now I always got by on my own, I never really cared until I met you, And now it chills me to the bone”
“You don't know how long I have wanted, To touch your lips and hold you tight, You don't know how long I have waited, And I was going to tell you tonight,But the secret is still my own, And my love for you is still unknown, How do I get you Alone?”
Magic Man - A piece about a naive young girl who falls for the stereotypical “bad boy”, and how her mother pleads for her not to give in. I personally find this song so entertaining, considering it is a narrative play by play of a conversation. I find it beautiful how Ann Wilson completely captures the essence of “cliche, naive young girl”. And “the mother who knows better” in each lyric of the conversation without telling us it switched perspectives. Cold, late night so long ago
“When I was not so strong you know, A pretty man came to me, I never seen eyes so blue, You know, I could not run away it seemed, We'd seen each other in a dream, Seemed like he knew me, he looked right through me, yeah, "Come on home, girl" he said with a smile, "You don't have to love me yet, let's get by awhile, But try to understand, try to understand, Try, try, try to understand, I'm a magic man"
“Mama says she's worried, growing up in a hurry, "Come on home, girl" Mama cried on the phone, "Too soon to lose my baby yet, my girl should be at home", But try to understand, try to understand, Try, try, try to understand, he's a magic man, Mama, ah, He's a magic man”
Keep in mind, that this is a “non-exhaustive” list of songs from the playlist. Meaning, the songs you see here are NOT all of the songs listed on Spotify. The music pieces listed are just the ones that stand out the most, in my opinion, in beauty and intricate meanings. Music means so much to this world, it is relevant in every place, to everyone. Music is magic, it is one of the only things that is able to bring people together, no matter how different they are. And that is something we should never let go of.