Since you went away the days grow long, and soon I’ll hear old winter’s song…
Ok, Music Monday, let’s not rush the seasons here. It may be chilly, but it certainly isn’t winter yet!
Is it me, or did we take a pretty serious shift into fall since last week? Last Wednesday, I was walking in a Halloween parade in a short-sleeved Rainbow Brite dress, and was comfortable.
By Friday, I was wearing boots and trying to figure out where that Indian Summer-like weather went!
I was in Walt Disney World on vacation during the middle of October. Surprisingly, according to a Central Florida native we talked to in line on a ride at EPCOT, 90 degrees in mid-October is “a bit hot.” While I never mind warmer weather, excessive sweating is not one of my favorite things. When we came back home after the trip, the weather was still favorable – 60s and 70s are my idea of great October weather.
As I said, the weather took a pretty sharp turn after Halloween, and all I’ll say is that I’m grateful this chilly fall weather held off as long as it did. That occurrence, as well as having to trounce through the brown and red leaves in my condo complex when I walk my dogs, was the basis for choosing a song for today.
I wanted something” autumn-related,” but also was looking at a playlist of Thanksgiving songs, and today’s song felt like a nice way to segue into this real autumn weather.
Just think of my dogs as inspiration.
“Autumn Leaves” is a 1945 composition by Joseph Kosma, with two different lyrical versions – written in French by Jacques Prevert, and Johnny Mercer in English. As an instrumental standard by pianist Roger Williams, it reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1955. As a piece with lyrics, it has been recorded more than 1000 times. Of course, the version I found on the playlist on YouTube was by none other than Nat King Cole, who is no stranger to songs about sentimental times of the year. In this case, he’s trading in chestnuts roasting over an open fire for the crunch of red, brown, and gold leaves in trees and on the ground.
“Autumn Leaves” appeared on Cole’s 1953 (re-released in 1955) album Sings for Two in Love (coincidentally, the album released before this one was named Harvest of Hits – how’s that for a fall/Thanksgiving-type name?). He wasn’t the first, nor the last, to cover the song, as Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Robert Goulet, and a whole host of prolific singers, both of Cole’s era, as well as later efforts, sang the song of the change in season and relationship.
I usually don’t close out with just the song, but in this case, I think I will.
Have a great Monday, and enjoy the music!