Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the twenty-ninth day of the month is "Song."
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The last song I listened to was "A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" by Glasvegas. My husband has spent years cultivating the perfect holiday playlist for us, with lots of goodies, including awesome Christmas albums from Los Straightjackets and Dwight Yoakum. But this is the one that we listened to as we finished decorating the tree.
My question is for you, my friends. Is this a hopeful song? Or just sad?
First verse:
Too much time harbors thoughts in heads
Now I'm compelled to are
About a future that's going nowhere
Chorus:
For a snowflake fell and it felt like a kiss
Now I'm okay
What's even going on with this song? It came to us via an Apple playlist a few years ago and it's become one of our favorites, but we also always end up feeling a little less happy than we start listening to it.
What's your favorite melancholy holiday song? My second place is Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.
Hmmm. I usually shy away from melancholy holiday songs, because I don't WANT to feel sad during Christmas. I've never heard this song, but now I'm curious.
ReplyDeleteIs that your tree? It's beautiful!
It IS our tree. Thanks. I love having it up for the holidays and I love that the cat and dog have accepted it as neutral territory and both lay down around it.
DeleteThe song didn't ring any bells with me (so to speak), so I just looked for it and no, I'm certain I've never heard that! How interesting. To me it doesn't seem very holiday-like, but I know we all get different feelings about different songs (and that's okay, obviously!). (I also didn't know the one by the Pogues.) Probably the closest I come to melancholy holiday music is the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack, which isn't the same thing at all, I know.
ReplyDeleteInteresting that it doesn't seem holiday-like to you. I guess because I don't have a religious background, any song that vaguely mentions snow/bells/gifts is a holiday song. LOL.
DeleteI think that sounds like a hopeful song.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite melancholy song is an Australian one called White Wine in the Sun. I always start out fine, then midway through I am teary-eyed. Another one that I love is River.
Okay, I just looked up White Win in the Sun and I'm somehow sobbing AND laughing (You'll be handed round the room/Like a puppy at a primary school). I'm scared to look up this River song.
DeleteI listen to WWITS when I am feeling like I need an emotional release. "I like the songs but the lyrics are dodgy" makes me smile and then "these are the people who make you feel safe in this world" and I just teared up typing that.
DeleteMy favorite melancholy song is I Wish I Had a River by Joni Mitchell. It is so sad but really beautiful. I think it really speaks to those for whom the holidays are not a happy time.
ReplyDeleteOkay, this is the second comment in a row about this River song. I'm listening to it and it's also making me sad. I think I need to watch some Mariah Carey videos as a palate cleanser. LOL.
DeleteVery strangely, I like some of Boney M’s Christmas songs.
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of these, but the playlist I found is pretty fun.
DeleteYour TREE! It is STUNNING.
ReplyDeleteMy mind is coming up blank about melancholy songs; I love I Wonder as I Wander and the tune seems quite sad, but I find it makes me pensive, not melancholy.
I had never heard this song before, but I definitely think it sounds sad (I'm listening to it now as I type this comment)! Talking about being alone at Christmas and...a snowflake feeling like a kiss would like me wail like crazy if I had lost someone I loved!!
This song is so confusing! He's like "I'm going to be okay," but he's all alone and out there without proper winter clothing. LOL. I don't know - it makes me feel sad, but it is hopeful, too.
DeleteI did not know the song until just now. It sounds very sad but I guess that's ok? My favorite of the classical Christmas songs is 'Leise rieselt der Schnee' (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m13xwWorw9s). It sounds melancholy but the text is not really.
ReplyDeleteIs there a word for that mismatch between tone and lyrics? There's this bluegrass song called "Footprints in the Snow" about child death, but the arrangement is all uplifting and upbeat. There has to be a term for this, right?
DeleteI picked Fairytale of New York as one of my favorites before I read your post. I'm particularly touched when they talk about their dreams and how they are impacted by and through their relationship.
ReplyDeleteIt's so heartbreaking when she sings "You took my dream from me/When I first found you." It's crazy to think that just meeting one person can change everything. It's such a good (sad) song.
DeleteI love your tree and your tree skirt! I do not purposely listen to melancholy songs because I am melancholy enough without help.
ReplyDeleteI get not wanting to listen to melancholy songs. I guess I like to wallow in the feeling!
DeleteI'm joining in with those voting for River as a sad Christmas song.
ReplyDeleteIt's so popular that I'm wondering how I've never come across it before.
DeleteI've never heard this song before and I'm listening to it now and it's really tugs at the heartstrings. I think melancholy is a good word - that's more nuanced than just sad. Like it's regret and wistfulness and resilience all wrapped up in one song - he'll be okay, but maybe just not yet.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!
Apple's curated playlists sometimes bring songs like this to our attention that we otherwise wouldn't hear. I'm glad you like it!
DeleteMy favorite very melancholic, sad Christmas song is "BelleauWood" by Garth Brooks. Do you know it? My husband sang it at the first or second Christmas together at his mother's church (we're not religious anymore, but we used to go sometimes) and it was just beautiful. Gave me goosebumps, but definitely a sad song.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I'm a hardcore Garth song and my friend and I have held up posters asking him to play Lonesome Dove and Belleau Wood at a couple of concerts. (He has played neither.) It's SUCH a beautiful song, but it is sad. Good reminder. I'll see if my husband can add it to our holiday playlist.
DeleteWell, I googled and as soon as I saw that "River" was a Joni Mitchell song, it all made sense... I feel like I know a lot of melancholy songs, but none are coming to mind! I must give Belleau Wood a listen. I know I've heard it but cannot bring it to mind... And OMG, on the link you provided, someone said that YOUR melancholy/confusing song was the one that his wife walked down the aisle to. !! Crazy how different people have such different tastes...
ReplyDelete