Oh, the weather outside is frightful, so come inside and put on some music. Yes, it’s almost Christmas and much of the world has seen gobs of snow over the past few weeks. It’s that time of year—wintertime. And to realize that to the fullest, we here at American Songwriter wanted to present six songs befitting of a frostbitten occasion.
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These are songs that will remind you of the chilled world outside your window, but they are so good they’ll never leave you cold. Let’s dive in here below.
“Coldest Winter,” Kanye West
From Kanye West’s brilliant 2008 album 808s & Heartbreak, this song is about the loss of love and the gaping cavern that develops in your gut when that is your world. After West went through a difficult breakup, he flew to Hawaii to produce the groundbreaking album and this song, “Coldest Winter,” is one of the many standouts. Your heart will shiver listening to this one.
“A Hazy Shade of Winter,” Simon & Garfunkel
Released first in 1966 as a single, this song is a bone-chilling offering from the usually sunny and harmonious duo. The seasons are turning and change is in the air. Always a difficult and dangerous time—change is hard—especially with the onset of winter. Of course, the song could be read as a metaphor for the “seasons” of one’s life. Either way, it’s teeth-chattering.
“While I Shovel the Snow,” The Walkmen
From the indie rock band The Walkmen’s 2010 album Lisbon, this song displays the eerie and magnetic style of the band that makes them so well liked by fans. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser’s tender voice howls like a chill through bare branches. And the accompanying music video is even more snowy for your soul.
“Cold as Ice,” Foreigner
A big, icy piano opens this song from Foreigner’s 1977 self-titled album, which is all about the coldness of a breakup. The song was both inspired by a cold-hearted breakup and the weather itself—it was about negative-20 degrees in New York at the time the song was written there by the group’s Mick Jones, he later explained. This song is an icicle.
“Winterlude,” Bob Dylan
From Bob Dylan’s 1970 album New Morning, the two-and-a-half-minute waltz is about the singer’s “little apple” named Winterlude. Something of a silly song, the track reminds of skating rinks and cold snow. Winterlude, this dude thinks you’re fine, sings Dylan as voices coo in harmony behind him.
“50 Words for Snow,” Kate Bush
The title track of Kate Bush’s 2011 album, this song was inspired by the fact that certain indigenous people who live in places like Alaska have some 50 words for snow. During the spare song, which feels like a great cold wind is beneath it, Bush goes through the words, some made up and some real. It’s a magnificent word that stretches eight-and-a-half minutes.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
