Happy Fall Break, Elizabethtown! Grab your sweaters, your long-missed pets, and a cup of warm apple cider and sit down for a second. It’s the time of the season that many college students look forward to; the end of boredom, the return of good friends, the cooling off of the sweltering summer heat, and the best time for a new beginning. Not to mention, everything is suddenly delicious. What a big difference cinnamon and nutmeg make!
For some like myself, the change in seasons means a change in tone overall for the next few months. Why not set the tone to music? So, for your listening pleasure, I’ve come up with a master playlist of ten of the best fall songs. These come from my personal playlist and work with the same few themes; cold weather, comfort, and connection to nature. Some of the songs are a little spooky while others have a romantic feeling of walking down the sidewalk while red and orange leaves fall on your head. I hope that while you’re on break, you can enjoy the sounds of fall and not think too hard about that thing due at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday night.
Heads Will Roll by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Might as well start with decapitation. Beyond the gruesome subject matter, this song is good for get-togethers around Halloween. The song has the feeling of one of those early 2000s horror Halloween movies; there’s a great deal of camp with a nice set of unsettling bones beneath it. The steady beat, the low, haunting vocals, and the catchy melody make for a good Mischief Night
Mykonos by Fleet Foxes
This song has always had the feeling of long rides off-campus and days walking around small Pennsylvania towns for me. It’s got that folk-pop guitar riff that sticks with you for a while and an excellent baseline. To me, it’s like the beginning of the song lives in the first falling leaves of the season and the second part submerges you into mid-November, when the trees are bare and the air feels somewhat empty.
Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon
I’m not gonna lie – this song is just pure fun. If you’ve ever seen the movie TeenWolf, this song has a similar attitude. It’s a classic with an iconic tune at its core and it has a lot of fun with its source material. What would you do if you saw a werewolf walking down the street? If you’re Warren Zevon, you comment in awe: “. . . and his hair was perfect.”
Madness by Muse
Other than being a classic from high school, Madness has a certain quality to it that’s both creepy and alluring somehow. With the beginning tune slowly building with a low bassline and a vocal crescendo, it really does feel like a descent into madness. Yet, as he goes down the rabbit hole, there’s something very compelling about his journey. I like that the vocals get more intense towards the end of the song and it returns to that repeating mix of the word “madness.”
What’s Going On? by Marvin Gaye
Off of one of the best albums ever produced, the song “What’s Going On?” has that perfect chill atmosphere of a city street in fall, with a twist. There’s a sense of comfort and comradery about it that sets the mood for the rest of the song. Yet, beneath the cool saxophone solo and rich voice of Marvin Gaye is a great message about protest and togetherness. Gaye ment the song to be a comment on the political and social turmoil of the 70s, with the chorus repeating “picket lines and picket signs / don’t punish me with brutality.” In a way, it seems like he meant to blend the commentary with a musical sense of calm and belonging which paints a hopeful picture of change in the near future.
Leaves That Are Green by Simon and Garfunkel
This might be the most obvious choice for a fall playlist. The last line of the chorus to this old favorite is “. . . and the leaves that are green turn to brown.” Like in most Simon and Garfunkel songs, there’s an almost religious love of nature. The observer in this song comments on the things he sees change as time rolls on and there’s a romantic connection to the chilling winds and falling leaves.
Death Valley by Fall Out Boy
It’s not explicitly Halloween themed, but the whole feeling of Death Valley bites like the crisp November air.