It is winter in many parts of the world. For some areas, that means snow. Maybe even lots of snow. If you don't have to drive in it or remove it, snow can be very beautiful. When snow covers everything around you, the world looks like a "winter wonderland". That is the name of a very popular song about winter. Richard Smith and Felix Bernard wrote the song back in 1934. There are hundreds of recordings of this happy song. But winter is not always such a beautiful and happy time. It's cold outside. You try hard to keep warm. The days are darker and shorter. The sun rarely shines. The leaves on the trees are brown. It isn't surprising that some people are sad in winter. And some people dream about being somewhere else where it's warm and pretty--like the state of California. The Mamas and the Papas recorded this famous song "California Dreaming". During the 1960s, many other famous rock groups released songs about winter. Here is a poetic song by Simon and Garfunkel called "A Hazy Shade of Winter". They sing about life and hope and possibilities. In 1968, the group Blood, Sweat and Tears recorded this gentle, sad song about winter. They sing about a lost love and forgotten memories in "Sometimes in Winter". In the early 1990s, Tori Amos wrote and recorded the beautiful song called "Winter". She enjoyed singing about winter when she was a child. Finally, on a happier note comes this song written and recorded by Fountains of Wayne in 2003. They sing about a snowstorm in a New England town. Nothing unusual there. But instead of being sad or tense about the snow, they write a song about it. Which of the songs can bring us hope of life?
Winter Wonderland. California Dreaming. A Hazy Shade of Winter. Sometimes in Winter.