The definitive Autumn playlist, UK style: A witty walk through songs that fall somewhere between love lost and leaves falling
Its that time of year.
Summer is just a hazy memory.
The days are shorter
And its time to put on a jumper.
Is Autumn the least regarded of the seasons?
Certainly when looking for songs that reference it: there’s a paucity compared to the others.
As I’m British, we’re dealing strictly with ‘Autumn.’ Other geographical regions may have alternative terminology. But its my party, and I’ll set the parameters as I see fit.
Songs about summer are often a celebration of the season. Whereas Autumn is far more introspective.
High tempo, upbeat fare is unwelcome here. As it turns out, most songs about Autumn aren’t even about Autumn. Its a metaphor. One thing is clear though: there will probably be falling leaves. And if they aren’t falling they’re changing colour.
Here then is:
The Definitive Autumn Playlist:
“Autumn Leaves“
Nat King Cole
Falling leaves? ✅
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
Its been a wonderful summer, but those falling leaves signify the passing of time. The sun is now a memory.
Which is exactly what Nat’s darling has become.
No idea why she left, or if she’s coming back. But Nat gives it the right amount of lovelorn misery without descending into maudlin schmaltz.
“Autumn Sweater“
Yo La Tengo
Falling leaves? ❌
Autumn as metaphor? ❌
I don’t know what they’re playing at, this goes against all convention.
Autumn appears entirely peripheral.
All we know is the object of his affections is wearing the titular item.
Because you need a sweater as it gets to Autumn and the sun makes itself scarce. It does land well within the introspective scale, so at least that adheres to the formula.
“Autumn Town Leaves”
Iron And Wine
Falling leaves? ❌
(Only joking, that title again – its a foregone conclusion.)
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
This is redeemed from cliche by some lyrical oddity:
I’m lost with this couplet;
“Dogs lay down in the evening heat
Fish do worse when they leave the sea”
I’m intrigued as to what these fish are doing. How and why are they leaving the sea? What are they doing when they leave it? Dogs laying down doesn’t appear particularly unruly and sets a low bar in terms of what the fish can be doing that’s worse.
“Autumn Serenade”
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
Falling leaves? ✅
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
At first I was confused by this one.
Or maybe its John and Johnny that are confused as to when Autumn is. They tell us that Autumn brings the sweetest music ever played and kisses that are beautiful souvenirs.
So far, so poetic.
This is sounding delightfully positive.
But what’s this? “Love was ours until October wandered by“.
The Internet varies on the exact dates of Autumn, depending on whether its meteorological Autumn (beginning 1st September) or the Autumn Equinox (22nd or 23rd of September). Whichever variant you use, it covers the whole of October and November.
The song simultaneously tells us that Autumn is a beautiful thing, but also that love will end during it.
I’m interpreting it as referring to the autumn of our lives.
Senses are heightened as time draws near to the end and October = death. Which seems premature that they’re cutting things short before you even reach the winter of your life. Or perhaps I’m overthinking it, and the songwriter underthought it.
“Autumn“
Bombay Bicycle Club
Falling leaves? ❌
Autumn as metaphor? ❌
Tricky, as it doesn’t even mention the word ‘Autumn.’
What kind of Autumn song is this if there’s no leaves and no Autumn?
It seems to be about relationship breakdowns and regret. For which you can read into it that Autumn is the unhappiest season (subtext; everything dies.)
And splitting up is rubbish, too.
“Autumn In New York“
Billie Holliday & Louis Armstrong
Falling leaves? ❌
Autumn as metaphor? ❌
There are plenty of references to Autumn, and it certainly sounds classy.
Closer inspection of its many claims for the effects of Autumn in New York reveal that they’re wholly unspecific to Autumn.
Substituting it for Spring or Summer would make more sense, for example; “Autumn brings the promise of new love.” Generally in songs, that’s the function of Spring.
“Gleaming roofs at sundown”? Again, Summer would be a better bet for that one.
“This autumn in New York
Transforms the slums into Mayfair”
I don’t think any season has this transformative power. You’d be better off with a co-ordinated program by city authorities of urban regeneration, engaging with communities and fueled by targeted financial investment.
“Forever Autumn“
Jeff Wayne & Justin Hayward
Falling leaves? ✅
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
In which Jeff & Justin find a parallel between Autumn and lost love.
Birds fly south in preparation for winter. The leaves fall from the trees. Days are shorter and colder. She used to love this time of year, but now she’s gone and the sense of decline provokes a spiral of misery as he’s unable to escape her memory.
Plus, the world is in the midst of a Martian invasion that is decimating humanity and threatens our entire existence.
Not surprising he’s feeling glum. Never rains but it pours, and all that. Or if you’re a glass half full kind of person, you could look at it that moping around like a lovesick teenager will take his mind off the impending doom.
In case you’re not familiar with the origins of this and are wondering if you really did read that bit about Martians correctly: Its from Jeff Wayne’s ‘70s spectacular,War Of The Worlds.
“My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (The Inner Life as Blazing Shield of Defiance and Optimism as Celestial Spear of Action)“
The Flaming Lips
Falling leaves? ❌
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
No falling leaves. But as a back up option, this one gives us migrating birds, which is a solid secondary Autumn trope.
It is The Flaming Lips, so the excessively wordy title and theme go against the grain. I’ll leave it to Wayne to explain this one;
‘It is my response to the naysaying know-it-alls who see life leading only to death and see nature as a cruel prankster designed to defeat the human spirit.
And the truth (which I get to proclaim as if standing on the top of a holy mountain shooting lazer beams out of my hands – thanks to Steven’s epic orchestration) is that no circumstance can ever defeat us unless we let it…
Resilience in the face of failure is a manifestation of the mind.’
“All Too Well (Sad Girl Autumn Version)”
Taylor Swift
Falling leaves? ✅
Autumn as metaphor? Not explicitly. .
It is another tale of love turned sour, and it is set in Autumn which is usually a big signifier. But the narrative here is laid out pretty straight.
It started off as “All Too Well” on the Red album. Re-recorded as Taylor’s version as part of her dispute with Big Machine. Then extended to a 10-minute version for a short film Taylor made. That version in turn was re-recorded acoustically and appended with (Sad Girl Autumn).
Apparently about Jake Gyllenhaal. Who doesn’t come out of it too well.
“Autumn Has Come“
The Coral
Falling leaves? ❌
(Though they are changing colour.)
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
Things aren’t what they used to be. What was once golden is now grey.
“Autumn Song”
Van Morrison
Falling leaves? ✅
Autumn as metaphor? ❌
Just a straightforward telling of an Autumn scene. There might be rain, it might be getting cold but this one finds the beauty and joy in it. Which is somewhat at odds with Van’s image now as a grumpy old man.
“Autumn”
Edgar Winter Group
Falling leaves? ❌
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
No leaves though the birds get a mention. And its yet another rumination on lost love reflected in the cold winds.
In a twist, the birds aren’t migrating to warmer climes, that’ll be his lost love who has migrated to another man. These birds, i.e. Edgar, have lost their mojo, their song is silent and they’re staying put, resigned to another winter in New England. Sad times.
“My Autumn’s Done Come”
Lee Hazlewood
Falling leaves? ❌
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
One that breaks with convention, no relationship trauma.
This is Lee entering the Autumn of his life and letting go of his pride and of chasing women; “I’m tired of holdin’ my stomach in”.
“Autumnsong”
Manic Street Preachers
Falling leaves? ❌
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
Its about teenage rebellion.
And this ‘Autumnsong’ being a reminder that Autumn (i.e. life in general) may be dreary, but there are brighter days ahead.
Taken from the Send In The Tigers album which also features: “Indian Summer” and “Winterlovers.” Spring is notable for its absence.
“Autumn”
New Model Army
Falling leaves? ✅
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
Setting itself apart from the maudlin fare this is a rousing celebration that tells us time is finite and all the more beautiful for that.
“And everything is beautiful
Because everything is dying”
New Model Army are unlikely to be familiar to most TNOCS readers.
They emerged in the 1980s as a politicised, radically left wing punk folk rock band, named after the Oliver Cromwell led parliamentarian forces from the English Civil War.
Somehow that translated to a moderately successful chart career with a dedicated following and seven top 40 singles between 1985 and 1993.
They’re still going strong now.
“Autumn”
Paolo Nutini
Falling leaves? ✅
Autumn as metaphor? ✅
This time Autumn represents the death of his grandfather. Bypasses maudlin heading straight to painful but elegiac remembrance.
“Autumn Almanac”
The Kinks
Falling leaves? ❌
(Though they do appear with reference to changing colour.)
Autumn as metaphor? ❌
One of the few that really is just about Autumn. Ray Davies chronicles the impacts on people and the natural world and channels his inner old man; “Oh, my poor rheumatic back.“
“Time Of No Reply”
Nick Drake
A wildcard, as ‘Autumn’ isn’t in the title.
But it commences with the poetry of:
“Summer was gone and the heat died down
And Autumn reached for her golden crown.”
Simple but beautiful. No falling leaves, not even a migratory bird. That’s the way to do it.
So what have we learnt?
That Autumn gets a raw deal.
That songwriters need to try harder to avoid the same rote cliches and we can’t rely on them to provide a positivity boost.
Any other Autumn songs I’ve missed?
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