Fall has arrived! The leaves are every shade of yellow, orange, red, and brown imaginable. The air is crisp, the houses are decorated with pumpkins, and sweaters are being whipped out. But the days are short and the sun sets early, warning of us of the inevitable winter to come. However, the fall is too beautiful to be ignored for the coming of winter. Life is about being happy, so below are 15 songs to romanticize fall with. Grab a cup of tea, light a fire, burrow under a blanket, and grab your headphones, it’s time to be happy.
“Moon Dreams” – Miles Davis
The soft and sweet trumpet of Miles Davis makes any listener feel golden inside, just like the golden leaves and golden sunsets of fall.
“Green Arrow” – Yo La Tengo
“Green Arrow” starts with cicada songs (a tell-tale sign of early fall) and is gently interrupted by a calm guitar riff. What is more fall than nature sounds and guitars that make you feel like you’re melting?
“Dream Another” – Makaya McCraven
Off of jazz drummer Makaya McCraven’s 2022 album, In These Times, “Dream Another ” captures sunlight streaming through yellow, orange, and red leaves with its catchy guitar riffs, smooth drumming, and chiming bells.
“Ragged Wood” – Fleet Foxes
Oh, so you want to dance in your living room with someone you love more than fall itself while the fireplace whispers and tea brews? Oh, so you want to celebrate fall in all of its decay and beauty? Oh, then you want to listen to “Ragged Wood” by Fleet Foxes!
“In a Sentimental Mood” – Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
“In a Sentimental Mood” is the perfect song for romanticizing fall with its singing saxophone, frolicking piano parts, and honeysuckle sound.
“To Be” – Foxwarren, Andy Shauf, & D.A.
Acoustic guitars, slow and heavy drum beats, and whiny vocals is what makes “To Be” a perfect song for sitting in a field of dying grass and watching your breath vaporize in front of you as you realize that you miss summer.
“Get Well” – Jay Som
Do you love steel guitars? Do you love music that makes you feel like you’re floating? If so, listen to “Get Well” by Jay Som. It’s also about being sick, so you can listen to it while you battle your fall colds!
“I Fall in Love Too Easily” – Chet Baker
Chet Baker’s smooth vocals, accompanied by a wondrous piano, feels like walking to pick up a warm drink at a local coffee shop on a cool fall morning. “I Fall in Love Too Easily” will make you fall in love too easily with fall, or dare I say, autumn.
“The Times They Are A-Changin’” – Bob Dylan
The times are literally changing, and there is no better way to celebrate that than to listen to Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. Dylan’s dancing harmonica, rhythmic acoustic guitar strums, and gruff voice sound like walking over yellow leaves on the sidewalk.
“Army of Ancients” – Dr Dog
“Army of Ancients” has the natural flare of decomposing leaves and decreasing hours of sunlight. With a jumping piano, stomping drums, climatic horns, and whiny lyrics, any fall drive turns into a movie when “Army of Ancients” is on.
“Rock för kropp och själ” – Träd, Gräs & Stenar
Swedish band Träd, Gräs & Stenar, released “Rock för kropp och själ” in 1972 during the Swedish Progg music movement. The song title translates to “rock for body and soul,” and its rambling jams make any fall hot drink, fall car ride, and fall nap feel like an experience for the body and soul.
“As the World Turns” – Jessica Pratt
Slow, tender, and natural is “As the World Turns” by guitarist Jessica Pratt. Her unique voice and its hum calms the listener like a warm cup of tea while the slow strum of her acoustic guitar feels like a leaf gently falling from a tree to the ground.
“Gallipoli” – Beirut
Beirut uses the trumpet exactly how it’s supposed to be used: to make you sway. “Gallipoli” starts with a sway-inducing trumpet solo, that falls nothing short of fall itself. Zack Condon’s vocals embody the crispness of a fall evening right after the sun has set.
“I Can Change” – Ezra Furman
Ezra Furman’s version of LCD Soundsystem’s “I Can Change” has tender vocals and simple acoustic guitar. It’s about change, and so is fall, so embrace it all.
“Hoppípolla” – Sigur Rós
Since Sigur Rós is a band from Iceland, they know a thing or two about fall. “Hoppípolla” is a song about jumping in puddles, a fall delicacy. Its lullaby-like piano intro erupts into music that makes your whole body move.
Brynne • Nov 14, 2023 at 4:55 am
Turning this into a playlist immediately ❤️