Fall Playlist by Ilana Talamo
T
he streets of New York appear perpetually covered by a thin layer of rain, and you strategically walk just far enough away from the edge of the sidewalk to avoid being splashed by a taxi. The rain continues to fall, gently enough that you question the need for your umbrella. The sky is neither blue nor gray, and children pause mid-walk to splash in puddles. It is another fall day, and you are listening to your new favorite rainy fall day playlist.
01.
“cowboy like me” —Taylor Swift Taylor Swift’s “cowboy like me” tells the story of the unlikely relationship between two con artists who were not loo king for love, only money. “You’re a cowboy like me / Perched in the dark / Telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear / Like it could be love / I could be the way forward / Only if they pay for it.”
02.
“Pale Blue Eyes” —The Velvet Underground The song “Pale Blue Eyes” is said to have been written in honor of Reed’s first love, Shelley Albin, who was married to another man at the time. Her eyes make him feel happy, mad, but mainly, her eyes make him feel a sad sense of longing. “Linger on your pale blue eyes / Linger on your pale blue eyes.”
03.
“Drew Barrymore” —SZA “Drew Barrymore” is based on Vine’s idea of a perfect girl: funny, cute, and sweet. It is an honest love song that highlights insecurities within a relationship and asks the ever-present question, am I enough? “I’m sorry I’m not more attractive / I’m sorry I’m not more ladylike / I’m sorry I don’t shave my legs at night.”
04.
“Velvet Ring” —Big Thief Big Thief ’s song “Velvet Ring” is a beautiful tale of love and loss, sweetness and sorrow. A man loves a woman “like he loved no one” else, but she is in love with someone else. “Ben, he loved her like he loved no one / The way she laughed and held a smoking gun.”
05.
“Songbird” —Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac’s album Rumors was created after breakups and divorces involving all five band members. Despite the pain behind the album, “Songbird” is an incredibly personal song about self-sacrifice and true love. “And the songbirds are singing, / Like they know the score / And I love you, I love you, I love you / Like never before.” THE BULLETIN -
26 - nov/dec 2021
