It’s been frigid for several days in Wisconsin and it is forecast to stay that way for some time. Strangely, it happens every year (but really, it’s zero-ish and getting colder). I thought maybe I’d try to find a fine rendition of Baby, It’s Cold Outside, but I just can’t.
Instead, I’ll feature a couple winter themed songs, January Hymn from The Decemberists and Winter Song from the English band, Lindisfarne.
The writers of each song know winter well.
In their review of the album The King Is Dead, UofMusic.com said this of January Hymn, [it is] a wonderfully simple and poignant vignette, [that] mixes wistful winter imagery with the melancholic memory of a lost love and magically captures the loneliness and solitude of a winter day.” The song was written by The Decemberists’ frontman, Colin Meloy.
“What were the words I meant to say
Before you left
When I could see your breath lead
Where you were going to”
If you’re a stranger to the bitterly cold, your breath appears like a smoke bomb when the temps get this low.
Lindisfarne is a British folk band formed in the late 60’s. Their first album, Nicely Out of Tune, featured Winter Song. Alan Hull wrote:
“When Winter’s shadowy fingers
first pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie
about the cold around your feet”
As kids we’d run around in winter with tennis shoes on our feet. It did not take long for those shoes to stop lying about the cold around our feet.
Lindisfarne broke up in the 70’s and consequently do not have either a website or a facebook page (not even a fan page).
However, their music is readily available and very good. I’ve been listening to them for decades.
Amazon
iTunes
Spotify
Decemberists.com
Facebook
Amazon
iTunes
Spotify
The Decemberists – January Hymn
Lindisfarne – Winter Song
Elvis Costello – Winter Song
Tom's Christmas Music Blog 