World Cafe's 10 Songs For Sweater Weather
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It's the first day of fall. Celebrate with these 10 autumnal tunes. Doug Hill/Flickr hide caption
It's the first day of fall. Celebrate with these 10 autumnal tunes.
Doug Hill/FlickrThe long, hot summer comes to an end today — according to the calendar, at least — and here at World Cafe, we're beginning to get into the spirit of the changing seasons. Feeling the autumnal vibes, we've selected some of our favorite songs that reflect the transition to the cooler days of fall.
Listen below for season-appropriate songs by Joanna Newsom, Simon & Garfunkel, Yo La Tengo and more.
Listen: 10 Songs For Sweater Weather
Whole Oats. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Fall In Philadelphia"
- by Hall and Oates
If you're from Philly, their classic, scene-setting lyrics will ring familiar. But even if you've never been to the City of Brotherly Love, the duo's harmonies will cover you with warmth as the temperatures begin to drop.
Harvest Moon. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Harvest Moon"
- by Neil Young
One of Young's most perfect songs — what more is there to say?
I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Autumn Sweater"
- by Yo La Tengo
With a head-nodding groove that deserves to be sampled plus a hypnotic, mournful keyboard, "Autumn Sweater" is the perfect candidate for any fall mixtape.
Use Your Illusion I. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"November Rain"
- by Guns N' Roses
Axl Rose's epic power ballad about unrequited love and soul-searching summons up all the melancholy feels. Rose sings: "So never mind the darkness, we still can find a way, 'cause nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain."
Have One On Me. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Autumn"
- by Joanna Newsom
Contemplative, seductive and melancholy, Newsom channels Joni Mitchell's "Circle Game" in this song from Newsom's sprawling 2010 album, Have One On Me.
September Of My Years. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"September Song"
- by Frank Sinatra
The pop standard, written by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson, has been recorded numerous times since Bing Crosby's 1943 rendition. A wide range of singers have gone into the studio with the song, including Lou Reed, James Brown, Sarah Vaughan, The Impressions and Rod McKuen. We're partial to the Chairman of the Board's version from his classic 1965 album September of My Years.
American Idiot. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Wake Me Up When September Ends"
- by Green Day
Rarely has a punk-rock band sounded so tender. Falling rain, emotional pain, innocence and haunting memories are central to this changing-of-the-seasons epic from Green Day's American Idiot.
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Autumn Serenade"
- by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
From their classic 1963 collaboration, "Autumn Serenade" is a subtle beauty with an all-star cast of players including McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison and Elvin Jones. There's a pensiveness to the lyrics, and despite the forlornness of the line "Love was ours until October wandered by," there's still a glow of a happy memory — "the glow that time cannot fade."
Sounds of Silence. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"Leaves That Are Green"
- by Simon & Garfunkel
The lyrics say it all: "And the leaves that are green turn to brown/And they wither with the wind/And they crumble in your hand."
Driving Home. Courtesy of the artist hide caption
"When Fall Comes To New England"
- by Cheryl Wheeler
The Boston folk singer-songwriter wrote this for her seminal 1993 album Driving Home. You don't need to be from New England to feel the beauty of the lyrics reflecting the seasonal charm.