Snow is a funny subject for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s something that some people experience on a yearly basis and for them, it’s as normal as the rising and setting of the sun.
But many other people never get to experience it and it remains an exotic (and frigid) anomaly their whole lives.
Secondly, in that first category, snow starts out as something beautiful and exciting: a winter wonderland.
Try to remember or imagine what snow is like when you’re a child. There are snow days when you don’t have to go to school, snowball fights, making snow angels in the freshly fallen snow, snowmen, snow forts, and more!
And then when you get older things really change.
The once-joyful experience turns into shoveling or plowing snow from sidewalks, porches, and driveways, dangerous driving, and even being stuck at home for days. Yuck!
And what about snow as a song topic? What do musicians think about it?
It’s obviously relevant to Christmas songs but I promise we’ll explore more than that (though a few Christmas songs might sneak in).
There is also the more recent idea that since each snowflake is unique, this is a symbol that each person is also special in their own way.
But sadly, this has mostly become an insult these days in some songs that will not be included here because I like to believe that individuals matter. I mean isn’t that one of the joys of music?
So grab some hot coffee or chocolate and put on your scarf and mittens because it’s time to explore some snowy songs to celebrate Winter.
1. Snowflakes – Just Jack
Here’s a great track to kick things off and I don’t think that many people know this song either.
The song’s lyrics mostly deal with self-reflection about feeling stuck in life, like walking in your sleep.
And the chorus, asking if you count the flakes when it snows, works as a way to explore whether you’re still mentally engaging with the world or just going through the motions.
And musically it’s rap with a British accent over The Cure’s song Lullaby: two things that I really enjoy!
It may not have been a smash hit and I’m sure Jack was hoping to ride the success of British Hip Hop’s The Streets from a few years earlier, but this song was good enough for me to buy the album.
- Written by: Jack Christopher Allsopp
- Year Released: 2002
- Album: The Outer Marker
2. Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin
This song is short, sweet, and it will stick in your head for days after you hear it.
This is obviously a popular song, but have you ever taken a close listen to the lyrics? I mean, who are these people “who come from the land of the ice and snow”?
The song was inspired by a trip that the Zeppelin boys took to Iceland, and while I don’t think Vikings were originally from that country, the toughness of Scandinavians living in brutal permanent-winter conditions made an impression.
The lyric’s reference to Valhalla (a mythical Norse heaven) further cements who the “immigrants” in the song really were, warriors who settled in the lands that they conquered.
And history is full of conflicts that have shaped our world but the brutal campaigns of the Vikings are still feared and revered to this day!
- Written by: Robert Plant and Jimmy Page
- Year Released: 1970
- Album: Led Zeppelin III
3. Sometimes It Snows in April – Prince and The Revolution
A classic Prince song takes on the issue of snow as a metaphor for tragedy or bad luck.
The lyrics are built around the death of a character from the (Prince) film Under the Cherry Moon.
And Prince sings of his love of Springtime and an unexpected snow coming out of nowhere to mess things up, sort of like life giving you lemons.
But I suspect Prince didn’t really mind snow that much in real life because Minnesota is probably one of the worst places to live for someone who hates snow.
While it may not be as exciting as Purple Rain, this song is beautiful and great for when you’re in the mood for something more low-key.
- Written by: Prince and Wendy & Lisa
- Year Released: 1986
- Album: Parade
4. Black Ice (Sky High) – Goodie Mob featuring Outkast
This winter-themed track uses invisible ice to talk about the risks that you can’t see coming, especially when you’re living a dangerous lifestyle.
And this song only references snow one time toward the end… but it isn’t just any old reference.
In fact, I would say the line “Take sun people, put ’em in a land of snow” is one of the aptest and most poetic descriptions of slavery in America that I’ve ever heard.
There was a lot of noise about East Coast versus West Coast rappers in the 1990s but for me, it was all about the South (Goodie Mob and Outkast were both from Atlanta, Georgia).
And even if you aren’t familiar with Goodie Mob, I’ll wager that you know at least one of the group’s members, CeeLo Green, who became famous for his solo projects and as a member of Gnarls Barkley later.
- Written by: David Sheats, Cameron Gipp, Andre Benjamin, and Antwan Patton
- Year Released: 1998
- Album: Still Standing
5. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! – Frank Sinatra
Your first reaction when you think of this song may be that it’s a Christmas song.
But it’s actually not. It just gets played a lot during the Christmas season.
This sweet romantic song is about a love between two people that is so great that they don’t care what is happening outside, as long as they have each other and a fire to warm them.
But this isn’t Baby, It’s Cold Outside and the singer knows he/she will eventually have to brave the cold and go home.
Luckily, their love will be (at least mentally) a source of warmth outside in the snowstorm: “If you really grab me tight, all the way home I’ll be warm”.
It’s sweet, it’s simple, and there’s no mention of Santa Claus, snowmen, or reindeer. This is my kind of music for the holiday season!
- Written by: Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne
- Year Released: 1994
- Album: Christmas Songs by Sinatra (1994 compilation version)
6. The Blizzard – Johnny Cash
Blizzards are dangerous. They always have been and always will be.
But not so long ago, people traveling who were caught in a blizzard didn’t have the option to just turn up the heat in their car or stop at a 24-hour fast food restaurant to wait out the storm.
And this old tune tells a story about a man coaxing his pony to keep pushing forward in order to get home.
Because at home there are hot biscuits and Maryanne for the character in the song and a barn full of warm soft hay for the pony.
Do they make it home safely? I guess you’ll just have to listen till the end to find out…
- Written by: Harlan Howard
- Year Released: 1965
- Album: Johnny Cash Sings the Ballads of the True West
7. Eskimo Blue Day – Jefferson Airplane
8. Snowflake – Kate Bush
9. Snowblind – Black Sabbath
10. Snow in Summer – The Cure
11. Snowbird – Elvis Presley
12. Snowbound – Genesis
13. Snowman – Sia
14. Snowball – Devo
15. Snow (Hey Oh) – Red Hot Chili Peppers
16. It Never Snows in Florida – New Found Glory
17. Snow on the Beach – Taylor Swift featuring Lana Del Ray
18. White Christmas – Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby
19. Snowbound – Donald Fagen
20. 50 Words for Snow – Kate Bush
21. Snowy Day – Boyz II Men
Hello there, my name is Ramiro and I’ve been playing guitar for almost 20 years. I’m obsessed with everything gear-related and I thought it might be worth sharing it. From guitars, pedals, amps, and synths to studio gear and production tips, I hope you find what I post here useful, and I’ll try my best to keep it entertaining also.