After Halloween, it can be hard not to want to jump right into the next fun-filled holiday. While we hate to skip Thanksgiving, it doesn’t have the same nostalgic anticipation as the holidays. While the urge to jump right into putting up a Christmas Tree is strong, give November its due. If you struggle to hold off the holly jolly of it all, check out the three songs below. They aren’t really holiday songs, but they give the same warm, fuzzy feeling—something to tide you over until December.
Videos by American Songwriter
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“Every Time We Say Goodbye” (Betty Carter)
Many artists have recorded renditions of this Cole Porter standard, but for this list, you want Betty Carter’s version. With a bit of help from Ray Charles, Carter gave this ubiquitous number new life. This song has never sounded as rich as it does here—and many other famous versions provide stiff competition.
While this song doesn’t mention the holidays, it’s a track that pairs best with a cold day, huddled around the fire, making the most of the dreary weather. As we transition from fall to winter, this is the song that will make withering nature feel as vibrant and fun as any summer day.
“The Very Thought Of You” (Nat King Cole)
Nat King Cole is a holiday staple, so it makes sense to dip into his non-festive discography for this list. Though he may not be singing about chestnuts roasting in “The Very Thought Of You,” his distinctive timbre triggers something in our brains. Even this love song can feel like an ode to the holidays when Cole is singing.
Cole’s voice was one of the most romantic forces in music. He instantly hypnotizes the listener, no matter what he’s saying. I’m living in a kind of daydream / I’m happy as a king. / And foolish though it may seem / To me that’s everything, he sings in this stunningly simple love song.
“Till There Was You” (Peggy Lee)
Perhaps the most famous version of “Till There Was You” in pop music comes from The Beatles. Paul McCartney flexed his knowledge of musical theatre when he decided the band should cover this cut from The Music Man in the early ’60s. Peggy Lee put her spin on this track before the Beatles’ cover, ultimately inspiring McCartney.
It’s not hard to hear what McCartney did in this cover. Lee turns this theatrical track into a soothing easy-listening staple, with a Latin flair. Though this song is a little more upbeat than the others on this list, it still has the cinematic instrumentation that makes it feel like a precursor to the holidays.
(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
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