I love a seasonal playlist, but I always struggle to make a spring appropriate playlist as my music taste has a more autumnal vibe. However, I think this year I’ve captured the melancholic yet hopeful feeling I get every spring in my playlist. Below are ten songs that you may not associate with spring, but somehow just work for me!
- “Emerald Eyes” by Fleetwood Mac
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Everyone loves Fleetwood Mac, come on. Weirdly though, I can only ever associate them with the fall and winter. However, I can’t have a playlist without at least one song by them on it and thankfully this song fell right into my lap while on a drive with my friends. Now that’s all the song reminds me of, driving on one of the first warm days of spring with the windows down.
- “Dear Prudence” by Siouxsie and the Banshees
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No, not the original version by the Beatles. I’m talking specifically about the cover by Siouxsie and the Banshees which I think blows the original out of the water. This song makes me want to look around (round round) and appreciate everything beautiful blooming around me. It’s one of a select few songs that actually make me feel hopeful and content with my life.
- “Trees and Flowers” by Strawberry Switchblade
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Strawberry Switchblade is one of my favorite underrated ’80s goth bands and I’m happy to learn that this song is one of their most popular. Don’t let the term “goth” turn you off, this song is mellow and can be enjoyed by anyone. It also embodies the under-recognized emotion that comes with spring: anxiety for the future. Everything around me is growing tall and here I am, static but unsteady and separated from it all. The present slips out of my grasp while the future hurdles towards me before my hands are even free. Give it a listen!
- “Dedicated to the One I Love” by the Mamas & the Papas
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The Mamas & The Papas are, in my opinion, the perfect band for spring. Honestly, this list could be entirely comprised of just their songs. The sound of this band is exactly what I imagine road-tripping across the U.S. in the ’60s would’ve felt like, which is the spring vibe I need.
- “Orange County Punk Rock Legend” by the garden
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I’m sorry, I can’t help adding The Garden to every playlist I make. Feel free to pass on this one if you’re not open to listening to music that kind of sucks. For everyone else, somehow this song sounds like spring to me. It’s still loud and harsh like many of their other songs, but it’s toned down in this song and is more of a nice tune to play while driving down the long farm roads that surround UMass. It’s short and sweet and I’m allowed to have a guilty pleasure song.
- “mrs. Robinson” by Simon & Garfunkel
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This is another song that, similar to The Mamas & The Papas, fully embodies spring to me. I’ve never seen The Graduate so I choose to interpret the lyrics through their original meaning which includes themes of prayer, forgiveness, and female hysteria. All themes I’ve been obsessed with for the better half of a year, to my friend’s dismay. Ignoring the lyrics, the sound of the song itself is very upbeat and easy to walk to while admiring the flowering trees on your way to class.
- “I don’t Know” by the Beastie Boys
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I know what you’re thinking and I want you to stop it right now. I know it’s the Beastie Boys, the same band who wrote hits such as “Shake Your Rump” and I don’t care. This isn’t your stereotypical Beastie Boys song and you won’t understand what I mean until you listen to it. It’s a short and soft song that expresses the feeling of being lost and not knowing what the hell you’re doing. Don’t write this one off.
- “Maple Syrup” by the Backseat Lovers
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This is another song that I first heard in the car with my friends. Who knew that good memories associated with a song make it better? Also, who knew that I spend so much time in the car? Luckily for you, you don’t need to have good memories to enjoy this song since the chorus is incredible. It builds amazing tension and when it’s finally released, I feel all my worries release with it.
- “stay soft” by Mitski
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I’ve been listening to a lot of Mitski recently (don’t worry about me) so it was inevitable that a few of her songs would end up on my spring playlist. Laurel Hell was an overlooked album that I absolutely love, I also included “Working for the Knife” from that album on this playlist. This song especially though has an upbeat feeling that contrasts her solemn lyrics, similar to how the beauty of the daffodils blossoming feels ironic as the seasonal depression lingers.
- “Waters of March” by Art Garfunkel
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Did I really put a Garfunkel song on this list twice? Yes. But if there’s any song from this list that you should add to your spring playlist then it should definitely be this one. It’s soft, rhythmic, and peaceful in a sort of depressing way. All adjectives I check off when looking for new music. This song is absolutely my song of the spring.
There are the essentials of my spring playlist! I love to listen to this playlist while walking to class on a warm day or while soaking up the sun on Orchard Hill. Please keep in mind, I usually listen to all my playlists alone and I would not recommend playing this for an audience unless you want to be somber in a group setting. Happy Spring!
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