Now that Halloween has come and passed, winter will be on its way soon. This is the time to prepare for a restful hibernation. Replenish your fat stores for energy, find a cozy den to curl up in, and put on these three wintery songs to lull you into a restful sleep until spring comes again.
“Winter Song” by Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson
Singer-songwriters Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson collaborated on “Winter Song” in October 2008. The single was included on The Hotel Café Presents: Winter Songs, an album released by The Hotel Café and Epic Records. It included a track list of wintery songs by incredible female singer-songwriters, including Brandi Carlile and KT Tunstall.
“Winter Song” is a beautiful piano duet featuring Bareilles and Michaelson’s perfect harmonies. Its simple composition reflects a stark winter landscape, hushed with snowfall. With resonating piano and heartfelt vocalizations, “Winter Song” is the perfect lullaby for a dreamy winter hibernation.
“Black Bear” by Black Bear
“Black Bear” appeared on the 2006 album Cinnamon Phase by Sam Beebe, who makes music under the name Black Bear. This song is a profound rumination on nature, solitude, loneliness, potential, and depression. Against a simple compositional backdrop, the poetic lyrics take center stage.
Besides the obvious references to hibernating bears, “Black Bear” is a great song choice because of its quiet power. This is one of those songs that delivers a punch to the gut with each listen, despite its lack of grandeur. It’s simple but lyrically rich, and overall a beautifully wintery song to curl up and rest with.
“Sleeping Lessons” by The Shins
“Sleeping Lessons” appeared on The Shins’ 2007 album Wincing the Night Away, which found the band experimenting with more stylistic influences. Additionally, this album featured more explorations of the human condition, including vocalist James Mercer’s “crippling insomnia”. That experience was the main inspiration for “Sleeping Lessons”.
A song about insomnia would be an odd choice for a restful hibernation, but “Sleeping Lessons” is different. It presents insomnia as something that can be defied and overcome. Additionally, the need to please others is something that can be defied and overcome. This song is essentially a how-to guide for engaging with our truest selves, before we lay those selves down for an easy, wintery sleep.
Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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