Here at the Curiosity Desk, we try never to miss an opportunity to do a "Five Favorites" post. And with the vernal equinox occurring this morning at 7:02 Eastern Daylight Time, it seems natural to feature a few of our favorite songs about spring. There are a ton of good ones out there so keep in mind these are only five of our many, many favorites.
As always, we're curious about your favorites, so tell us all about the spring songs you love best in the comments section below.
"You Can Never Hold Back Spring," by Tom Waits
The sentiment of this song echoes a famous quote from Pablo Neruda: "You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming." Think about how powerful that idea actually is. No matter how tranquil or how miserable things might currently be, the next thing is always coming — whether you like it or not. Nothing lasts forever. It's a simple and enormous thought. And who better to deliver it then a gruff, dusty, bluesy, battered Tom Waits?
"Frigid Spring," by Chairlift
Is there a better two-word phrase to describe the start of Spring 2013 here in New England? Chairlift is the Brooklyn-based duo of Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimberly. In their brand of taut electro-pop you hear traces of acts like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Depeche Mode from synth's golden era (the 1980s), as well as contemporaries like Yeasayer and St. Vincent. But they do have a feel all their own, thanks in large part to Polachek's lithe and somewhat detached vocals, heard in all their shifting, idiosyncratic glory on this track.
"Spring Fever Blues," by Chick Webb and his Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald
Chick Webb was the drummer and bandleader of the house band at Harlem's legendary Savoy Ballroom. As such, he was one of the central figures in the development of the branch of jazz that would eventually become known as swing. His "battles of the band" against the Bennie Goodman Orchestra and Count Basie Orchestra are the stuff of legend. In 1935, he somewhat reluctantly began working with a teenage vocalist that he described as "gawky and unkempt, a diamond in the rough." That vocalist was Ella Fitzgerald, heard here at the age of 19.
"Souverian," by Andrew Bird
Like with much of Andrew Bird's work, this song is somewhat impenetrable, and yet, he paints a beautiful picture. The song itself is gorgeous. It's littered with allusions to spring -- parsnips, thrushes, thistles, tender grasses, birds singing. And he's ruminating on youth – which is a hallmark of springtime. But the highlight of this song for me is the crusher of a line: "If you promise spring, then I'll know you are a liar."
"Swingtime In Springtime," by Django Reinhardt
OK, so, when you hear Django Reinhardt soloing … he is only using the index and middle fingers on his left hand to finger all of those notes (his third and fourth finger were paralyzed after he was injured a fire). What?!
