JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum Weekly Topic #74--Songs with Snow

Hey everyone,

Well, here I am about to be snowed in again! Ugh! I really hate winter! Anyway, the snow is pretty, but I hate dealing with it. Luckily, my 5 yr old son thinks it's so much fun to shovel. At least I get some help there!

As you know...weekly topics don't always come easily...so I thought I'd look to my surroundings and ask this question...

Name a song...favorite or not...that has a refernce to snow, either in the song title or in the lyric...

Keep posting,
Ashleigh
www.mp3.com/Ashleigh_Wehmeyer


[This message has been edited by adw246 (edited 01-03-2003).]

[This message has been edited by adw246 (edited 01-03-2003).]

Hey there,

I'm gonna need help with the title on this one...

There's a song about a guy who runs into his old lover on New's Eve and it ends with

"the snow turned into rain..."

I just love that song...so much that I can't remember the lyrics, title or who sings it (Dan Folgleberg?) LOL...

Anyway, I haven't heard it in a long time...that's my only excuse...

Help,
Ashleigh
www.mp3.com/Ashleigh_Wehmeyer

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Guess that's not one of your favs huh?
Brings back those old time Christmas snow days for me.

John

[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 01-03-2003).]

John,

I'm just trying to be obscure and original. I do love to sing "Let It Snow" I just don't want to be there!

Keep posting,
Ashleigh
www.mp3.com/Ashleigh_Wehmeyer

Think 5!

You're there,,,,,,,so enjoy it!!!!!!!!!

Ok,,,,we've been having rain now, and no mess to deal with, so it's easy to say that!

Curl up after the kids are in bed, open the draps to show the snow falling, and light the fire! Pour a glass of wine, or whatever,,,,hot chocolate even, (don't forget the marshmellow), and put on a good movie. Ah,,,,,,,,now isn't that better?

John

There 'sno business like show business.

Tee Hee, does spelling count?

JeanB

PS: Is this the one you were thinking of Ashleigh?

"And as I turned to make my way back home,
The snow turned into rain ..............

Same Old Lang Syne"
(Dan Fogelberg)

Got if from here:

http://users.cis.net/sammy/syne.htm

I just googled the line and it brought it up right away.

JeanB



[This message has been edited by JeanB (edited 01-03-2003).]

"Let It Snow" is a classic. The lyricist, Sammy Cahn, told this story about writing the song:

"...For example, Jule (Styne) and I were once in the offices of the Edwin H. Music Company. It was one of the hottest days in the history of Los Angeles.

After the meeting, I asked Jule, 'Why don't we drive to the beach to cool off?'

He said, typically, 'Why don't we stay here and write a winter song?'

I went to the typewriter, reflected for an instant or two on the weather, and typed:

Oh! The weather outside is frightful.

Notice how I set the cadence with the first line, a key to successful rhyming.

Oh! The weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go,
LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!

I gave these four lines to Jule Styne. He went to the piano and started to noodle some different melodic lines to accommodate the cadence. Once we had agreed on the melody, I think you may know how I continued"

From the Introduction to the Song-Writers Rhyming Dictionay by Sammy Cahn.

One would do well to study the works of Sammy Cahn which include such classics as:
- Call Me Irrisponsible
- High Hopes
- The Christmas Waltz
- It's been a long, long time

And many, many others for the likes of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

Sorry for rambling, but I thought some of you might share my interest in the history of certain songs and songwriters

BB

THANKS!!!!! That was great! I had no idea that song was written in the heat of a day in LA! Wow! Very Creative! And the cadence is so concise and crisp,,,,,,,great of Jule Styne to "noodle" that melody to match it!

Feel free to share more stories and quotes for other classics sometime.

John

see photos page for freezing shots of calif weather www.mjmrecords.com

Loved your Cahn reference, BB--I love those old songs, too!! I play them in my sets whenever I can.

My obscure snow-reference song? I think it's called, "Winter's Day" by (of all people) Tommy Roe!! (You remember: "Dizzy"?) It was on his "12 in a Roe" album...

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www.mp3.com/crisisrocks
www.mp3.com/dianatyler

"Hazy Shade of Winter"
"...Look around; leaves are brown; there's a touch of snow on the ground..."
(I think I'm neglecting a line in there somewhere, tho'.)
Another drive-you-starkers intro riff on that one... if you're at all familiar with the tune, it'll rattle around in your brain-box for daysssssssssssssss!
Lswdy, he'p us.
Who recorded that, BTW?

Simon and garfunkel.then the Bangels covered it in the 90s.your right Ozone that is a great song!best regards michael

"Song for a Winter's Night", Gordon Lightfoot.
In the notes in his boxed set, "Songbook", Gord notes that he wrote this in Cleveland during a midsummer thunderstorm.

Hi, Ashleigh!

I live in California, but I did spend most of my childhood in colder climates...and I understand how crazy it can feel to be snowed in -
Hmmm...unique songs about snow:

*There is a children's book/movie called "The Snowman."
The movie has an ethereal song in it called,
"Walking in the Air." Kenny Loggins also recorded in on his "December" CD.

* There is a lovely Christmas CD by Dan Fogelberg called, "The First Christmas Morning."
One of my favorite songs on it is an instrumental song called, "Snowfall."

* Hang in there, Ashleigh! Maybe you'll
write your next big hit as a result of spending more time inside...!

*Emily

RE: The Simon & Garfunkel song--

Look around,
Leaves are brown, now,
And the sky
Is a hazy shade of winter.


That IS a great song (S&G had many of them...).

A new song, "Christmas in Arizona" (XMAS N AZ), was written as a "Northern-centric" person's response to the idea of having to spend Christmas in a place where snow is a foreign concept (as in southern Arizona).
You can hear it at http://www.mp3.com/dianatyler

I know I've mentioned the song before on the JPF site, but it SO fits this topic...!!!

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www.mp3.com/crisisrocks
www.mp3.com/dianatyler

How about Anne Murray's breakthrough hit, Snowbird written by Gene MacLellan. Elvis described Murray as his favorite singer and this his favorite song.

(V1)
Beneath it's snowy mantle cold and clean,
The unborn grass lies waiting for its coat to turn to green.
The snowbird sings the song he always sings,
And speaks to me of flowers that will bloom again in spring.

(V2)
When I was young my heart was young then, too.
And anything that it would tell me, that's the thing that I would do.
But now I feel such emptiness within,
For the thing that I want most in life's the thing that I can't win.

(Chorus)
Spread your tiny wings and fly away,
And take the snow back with you where it came from on that day.
The one I love forever is untrue,
And if I could you know that I would fly away with you.

(V3)
The breeze along the river seems to say,
That he'll only break my heart again should I decide to stay.
So, little snowbird, take me with you when you go,
To that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow.

(Chorus)

I had the pleasure of jamming with the writer of this tune, Gene MacLellan. He was an excellent singer in his own right, but a facial disfigurement kept him from performing. He wrote three big hits:

1) Snowbird
2) Put your hand in the hand -- that's the one that goes, "Put your hand in the hand of the man who stills the water, put your hand in the hand of the man who calms the sea. Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently, by putting your hand in the hand of the man from Gallalee"
3) Taxi, recorded by Mac Davis. This had the lines: Hey mister can you find it in your heart to lend me a dollar; see, the time's gettin slow, I'm fresh out of dough and I ain't got no money to call her.

Gene battled with personal demons. Despite financial success and a loving family he committed suicide in his Summerside PEI home about 12 - 15 years ago.

BB

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Diana Tyler:
[B]RE: The Simon & Garfunkel song--

Look around,
Leaves are brown, now,
And the sky
Is a hazy shade of winter.


Kewl! Thanks Diana.
Could I be thinking of the outro/fade for that "touch of snow" line?

-The Perpetually Confused Guy

Beyond and Before - recorded by YES, written by Squire/Bailey

"Sparkling trees of silver foam cast shadows in winter home
Swaying branches breaking sound, lonely forest trembling ground
Masquerading leaves of blue run circles round the morning dew
Patterns understood by you reaching out beyond and before

Reaching the snow in the days of cold casting a spell out of ice
Beyond and before "



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Marty Helly

Tnias - rock n roll with an acoustic heart and a bass ackwards soul!

Is there a setting on the digital delay that will allow me to think before I speak?

I like "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks:

If you see my reflection
In the snow-covered hills
Where the landslide brought me down...

Here's another song with the mention of snow:

"River" by Joni Mitchell:

"It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down the trees
They're puttin up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it don't snow here
It stays pretty green
I'm going to amke a lot of money
Then I'm gpoin to quit this crazy scene
Oh, I wish I had a river
I could skate away on..."


And,

John--You are too funny--I'm five, I'm five...I'm going to keep telling myself that!

Everyone--great posts! I love that story about the Christmas song...I've heard that before. You guys have posted some I've haven't heard and Jean--Yes, that's the one.

Truman--How could I have forgotten Landslide??

Keep posting,
Ashleigh
www.mp3.com/Ashleigh_Wehmeyer

Wow...EXTRY Late to THIS Party...

Um...howabout Eric Clapton's "COCAINE"?
;-)>
"Theme From Dr. Zvigagho?" ;-)>

OK, Seriously Now..."WHITE CHRISTMAS" by Irving Berlin.

"SNOW Business Like SHOW BUSINESS"...{Sorry..I'm too blitzed to be Serious any more tonight!]

"JINGLE BELLS"...{WHO Wrote That Standard, anyways?}

"FROSTY (The SNOWMAN)"....

Time to Slide off to Bed!
G'nighty! Fun Read!
Big Hugs,
Stan

How about that bluegrass classic"Footprints in the Snow" sung by Bill Monroe?

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http://www.soundclick.com/bands/6/tuhkermusic.htm

Snowin' on Raton - Townes Van Zandt
Rain and Snow - Blue Mountain

and my absolute favorite :
Informer by Snow