March 20 marked the first day of spring, a time that brings flowers and warmer weather — the gateway to the summertime. It’s time to bid farewell to the cold and dreary days that winter brought, and time to welcome in the abundance of regrowth. The springtime symbolizes starting over and the purging of anything in life that needs to go.
Here are 13 songs that embody the joy that comes with this transitional period. The following songs capture feelings of excitement, relaxation, and a fresh start.
The Zombies: “This Will Be Our Year” (1968)
“This Will Be Our Year” opens with the line “The warmth of your love/Is like the warmth of the sun,” bringing listeners out of the darkness of the past and smothering them in the warmth of love. The lyrics that flow throughout the song, “This will be our year/Took a long time to come” foreshadow the positive things that are coming to the lead singer, Colin Blunstone’s life. The singer consistently promises that better things are to come: “You don’t have to worry/All your worried days are gone.”
Hippo Campus: “Ease Up Kid” (2019)
“Ease Up Kid” begins with the lyrics “In my house, snow is coming down/Solemn nights, haven’t lost or found it” playing with themes of winter. The song then teases the upcoming spring, as the lyrics sing “Things will change with the seasons.” The repetition of the lines “Ease up kid, don’t you worry/You’ll be fine” is reassuring to the listener. Paired with a very stripped-down acoustic sound, this tune is sweet and comforting.
Simon and Garfunkel: “April She Will Come” (1966)
Simon & Garfunkel explain what spring and early summer bring upon the world in their song “April She Will Come.” In April, nature begins to wake up again, hence the line, “Streams are ripe and swelled with rain.” It is a sweet melodic tune with a simple, reassuring guitar rhythm.
The Velvet Underground: “Sunday Morning” (1967)
“Sunday Morning” has themes of last-minute change. The song itself almost didn’t make it onto the album, due to the last-minute switch with Lou Reed singing instead of Nico. There is an orchestral and bell contribution to the track that makes the song light and feathery. The airy feeling places listeners in their homes on a Sunday morning where all there is to do is contemplate life. It feels peaceful, yet daunting.
Mort Garson: “Swingin’ Spathiphyllums” (2019)
“Swingin’ Spathiphyllums” is a fully instrumental track. The musical arrangements are catchy – the undertone of the bass mixed with the repetitive keyboard element makes you want to get up and dance. The song sounds similar to music heard in video games, specifically Animal Crossing.
Animal Collective: “In The Flowers” (2009)
This track is simply a nod to what Animal Collective does best — long songs with experimental instruments that sound funky paired together. The faraway vocals on the almost six-minute track put you into a dream-like state, almost like floating. The tune is about escaping and being in a world of fantasy – somewhere with no responsibilities besides dancing and being with the one you love. “If I could just leave my body for the night/Then we could be dancing.”
Meat Puppets: “Look At the Rain“ (1987)
“I ain’t got no money/I can’t buy a damn thing that I might like,” Meat Puppets sing in “Look At the Rain.” Despite all the bad things in the narrator’s life he makes the most out of it all. “I got a shirt that costs a dollar twenty five/I know I’m the best dressed man alive.” He might not have much money but he doesn’t care, because in his eyes, he is the best dressed man alive. In the end, all he cares about is to “look at the rain.”
Courtney Barnett: “Avant Gardener” (2013)
“Avant Gardener” starts off bleak but honest.“I sleep in late/Another day/What a waste.” With a sweet accompanying melody, Barnett moves back and forth between this melancholy feeling and a more optimistic one. As the song continues, she sees the day as an opportunity. “What exciting things will happen today?” The bleakness creeps back in though, this time with an underlying discomfort. The guitar gets high-pitched and squeaky during the lyrics “It’s 40 degrees and I feel like I’m dying/Life’s getting harder.” But then she decides to garden, “Anything to take my mind away from where it’s supposed to be,” and the sweet melody returns.
John Lennon: “(Just Like) Starting Over” (1980)
“(Just Like) Starting Over” is a poppy tune that details Lennon’s relationship with Yoko Ono and their new beginnings as a couple: “but when I see you darling/It’s like we both are falling in love again/It’ll be just like starting over.” Their relationship, at the time, was a bit rocky, and this song paved the way for a rebuilding. Sadly, this song was supposed to commemorate Lennon and Ono’s new beginnings, when in reality, it was released shortly before Lennon’s untimely death.
David Bowie: “Changes” (1971)
“Changes” is different for Bowie, not a rock tune, but rather an upbeat ode to pop. The keyboard mixed with the simple drum beat puts the song into the pop category. Bowie advises listeners to face change head on. He challenges the people who are afraid of change, something that Bowie was never afraid of. 32 years after “Changes” was originally released, a new version of “Changes” was put out on the Shrek 2 soundtrack. Butterfly Diamond sings the lead vocals with featured rerecorded vocals by Bowie himself.
Mac Demarco: “Let Her Go” (2014)
“Let Her Go” could be interpreted as a sad song about letting go of the person you thought you loved, but it shows that it’s truly for the better. The lyrics are advice for when love fades, “love just like a flower, but when the flower dies, you’ve got to say goodbye, and let her go.” The song is about making a change in your life that will benefit both parties. The lyrics are melancholic, but the sunny guitar tone paired with the jumpy beat of the drums makes listeners see the change in a positive light.
The The: “This Is The Day” (1983)
“This Is The Day” starts off depressing, “well you didn’t wake up this morning, ‘cause you didn’t go to bed/You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red/The calendar on your wall is ticking the days off.” As the song continues, Matt Johnson sings more inspiring words, “this is the day your life will surely change.” Those lyrics repeat so many times throughout the song that the message becomes drilled into your mind, motivating you to change. Paired with the upbeat instrumentals and the catchiness of the tune overall, the song inspires a go-getter type of attitude.
The Strokes: “Reptilia” (2003)
“Reptilia” is about a relationship that has grown out of control. Julian Casablancas, the lead singer, details how one-sided his relationship is, “please don’t slow me down if I’m going too fast/You’re not trying hard enough/You’re no longer laughing.” At the same time, Casablancas is just trying to leave his past behind him. He realizes that his way of living is too dangerous if he continues at this speed. He needs to change. “Our lives are changing lanes/You ran me off the road.” Finally, he makes the decision to take control. “The wait is over/I’m now taking over.” Instrumentally, the song is fast-paced and full of drums with a distinct guitar riff.
Take this springtime to reflect on some goals going into summertime. The warmer weather is here to help out. There might be some changes in life that you can act on, and spring is your chance to do so. This is the time for a cleanse and purge, whether it be of people in your life or of items in your home. Spring is a time that doesn’t need to feel so serious, so take some time to listen, dance, and release all those pent up cold-weather emotions!