For as much as people disregard the 11th month of the year as a sort of chronological No Man’s Land between Halloween and Christmas, there is plenty to enjoy about November, including the music that is either inspired by it or evokes the feeling of it. The penultimate month of the year is like October’s grayer, chillier cousin and December’s anticipatory predecessor. Food lovers need not be reminded of the annual U.S. holiday held on the fourth Thursday of the month.
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Whether you like November for the crispy, golden leaves or the excitement of an upcoming Christmas holiday, these six songs are all well-deserving of a spot on your November playlist. We’d guess the vast majority of you will readily recognize the first four. But unless you also happen to be a fan of early 2000s indie music, the last two might be surprising (but welcome) additions to all your autumnal playlist needs.
“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot
Gordon Lightfoot’s 1976 folk ballad about the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking into Lake Superior on November 10 of the previous year might not be the happiest addition to your November playlist. Still, it’s a worthy one just the same. Lightfoot first released the song on his 11th studio album, Summertime Dream. But don’t let the album title fool you. With its haunting 6/8 melody and lyrics about “the gales of November [that] came early,” Lightfoot’s song encapsulates this month’s moody, somber feel.
“Urge for Going” by Joni Mitchell
The opening lines to Mitchell’s song, “Urge For Going”, perfectly describe the sensation of waking up to realize the warmest part of autumn is gone. “I awoke today and found the frost perched on the town.” The song, which Mitchell wrote in the mid-1960s but didn’t include on an album until the 1990s, describes the wayward feelings the changing of the seasons can often bring about. Whether pining for warmer weather or arms, “Urge For Going” is as wistful as it is beautifully composed.
“Time of the Season” by The Zombies
To be fair, this writer would humbly argue that The Zombies’ “Time of the Season” is a rare breed of song that seems to fit the mood of whatever season the listener might be in. During the transition from early fall to early winter, “Time of the Season” becomes a reminder that cozy, candle-lit nights are ahead. Indeed, lyrics like “It’s the time of the season for loving” have the same energy as kids referring to the period from October to March as “cuffing season.”
“Cold November Wind” by Willie Nelson
Phyllis McCoy has worn several hats throughout her career, from TV broadcaster to ad agency owner, but one of her most ubiquitous accomplishments was providing Willie Nelson with the forlorn ballad, “Cold November Wind” from his 1987 album Island in the Sea. This addition is pretty self-explanatory, if not a little melancholy. “A cold November wind can cut right through your soul,” the song begins. Because sometimes leaning into the heartache with the right song can be the quickest way to warm oneself up after a particularly chilly breakup.
“Autumn Town Leaves” by Iron & Wine
Sam Beam of Iron & Wine fame has built his musical career under this moniker by writing songs that sound like the audible equivalent of a hug in a big, cozy sweater. “Autumn Town Leaves” is no exception, making this song an ideal addition to any warm-and-fuzzy November playlist. The song, which Beam released on his 2018 EP, Weed Garden, evokes more positive images of the second-to-last month of the year. “In this autumn town where the leaves can fall on either side of the garden wall, we laugh all night to keep the embers blowing.”
“Laminated Cat” by Loose Fur
Closing out our list of November songs is a track by Loose Fur, a side project of Wilco members Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche and Sonic Youth’s Jim O’Rourke. The 2003 indie track “Laminated Cat” hits the sweet spot when it comes to November music, capturing the sugar-laden feeling of the days after Halloween but before Thanksgiving and the subsequent Christmas season. “Candy left over from Halloween,” the chorus begins. “A unified theory of everything.” Eating leftover Halloween candy while you listen is optional, but why not take that option if you have it?
Photo by Doug Griffin/Toronto Star via Getty Images
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