The Falls Of My Life
My Mixtape’s A Masterpiece is a weekly feature in which a guest compiles a playlist around some theme. This week, Nguyên Lê assembles 10 songs reminiscent of autumns past. Read Nguyên’s thoughts on each song and listen along to the Spotify playlist on top and/or the YouTube playlist at the bottom of the post.
Going by your calendar, or your Google search, fall is here. Prior to my coming to America, I’ve never been exposed to it; where I spent my formative years in Vietnam has just wet and dry seasons. With crisp air, changing leaves, spooky décor and “pumpkin spice in a venti, please,” fall was quite the discovery. It still is.
I have been playing a “game” since said discovery onward: imagining a montage of me experiencing the season being made, and then searching for a good accompanying song. Of course, as every fall is different, every year the song will change. It may be lively, even depressing, but it is all part of a collection I’m thankful to have.
And from all the times that the season and its song have come and gone, I have picked out my most memorable ten. Is there a chance something for your fall montage is among them?
1. “New Soul” by Yael Naïm
That first fall was sort of a rebirth, a “coming to a new world” as mentioned in the French-Israeli musician’s hit song. The new scenes, scents, and sensations at the time, much like the vocals, trombone and drums heard here, all seem to be celebratory; it is easy to visualize a marching band of critters walking among foliage and beside a stream when this song is played. Per the lyrics, Naïm admits that newness does come with difficulties, but they will prove to be beneficial if you can navigate them with optimism. An important mindset to have in the season known to prompt reflection!
2. “Something About Us” by Daft Punk
I lost Bà Ngoại when Thanksgiving of that year rolled around, and for the next couple of days this song was in my head. Despite being better recognized as the love theme of the animated musical INTERSTELLA 5555: THE 5TORY OF THE 5ECRET 5TAR 5YSTEM, this electronic ballad from the duo behind “Around the World” and “One More Time” is my “pause button” in the face of stressful situations. It used to be exams, not a death in the family. Again, the secret shared in the song is envisioned for one lover to another, but for that event I had reworked it so that it would work for a family member to another—or a nephew to his grandmother.
3. “Crush” by Yuna ft. Usher
Although released in the spring of 2016, I didn’t discover the song until the fall. It then quickly became a frequent listen at home and on car rides around town. The elegance in Yuna’s vocals and the sultriness in Usher’s just give tremendous life to the song, perhaps even its main attraction—pun sort of intended—since instrumentals are light overall. They seem to deliberately tune out, much like what the music video does with the city’s bustle, so you can really tune in to the romantic thoughts. Or to things in the moment that you find much more pleasing, which in an autumnal context would be feeling the soothing breezes when dusk rolls in.
4. “When I See You” by Macy Gray
When I was still in school, fall was a goodbye to summer and a hello to classmates. To really shake off the vacation dust and the allure of being free from homework, I would play this brush of soul from Gray to fire me up. At a younger age I was more attracted to the jovial composition and paid no mind to the lyrics tinged with sensuality. Even if this wasn’t widely considered as the Ohio native’s best work, I also didn’t mind. All hail the most unassuming hype song ever?
5. “Little L” by Jamiroquai
Fall can be a cheery season, of course. This dancefloor-ripping bit of funk from Jamiroquai is, in actuality, a breakup song, but, without diving into its background, could you ever tell? The song came to my attention when a former friend bought a new sound system as prep for a Thanksgiving karaoke party and he needed “any music” to test it out. He was jamming to this, alright, as he remarked the disco beats and strings reminded him of “Bee Gees and Earth, Wind & Fire.” I guess it’s safe to say that was an example of a person’s “little L” being another’s “big W.” He was sad that at the time a karaoke version of the song was not available, though.
6. “High By The Beach” by Lana Del Rey
The thing about fall in Texas is that it comes late. How late, you ask? In September and October, you can still go to the beach and have a tan. I know Del Rey’s breathy vocals are tailored for films and ads, but they also work wonders when paired with more natural things—like the chasing winds and crashing waves occasionally heard amid the trap-pop beats here.
What also makes the song great for the season is it’s one of the few where she embodies a voice that will depart—rather than succumb to—an ineffective relationship, and I’m sure most of us know fall is emblematic of transformation, right?
7. “Thank You” by Dido
For the longest time, I believe the song from our Irish-English musician is the sequel to “End of the World” by Skeeter Davis, or perhaps a slightly more optimistic counterpart. Dido is also in an apocalypse because her other half has left, much like Davis, but she has a way out of it: Someone else is still there for her. One fall, I became aware that an internship I had poured my heart (and much of my gas money) into would not bear any fruit. My way out of that particular despair was by following the wise words of a relative, “Still give thanks to bad lessons.” That so happens to also be the message of the song.
8. “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & the Papas
It becomes too cold in fall, and so in turn I will wish for a bit more warmth. On nights when the chill becomes too much, I will find myself humming (or wanting to hum) this song, specifically the version from the renowned California-based counterculture band. It’s not a random selection—the lyrics are about the singer wishing to be in a sunnier place. Side note: I have been told “this sunnier place” is not exactly California but anywhere besides Vietnam where the war was raging, or it is just a metaphor about the need for change (à la CHUNGKING EXPRESS).
9. “The Sixth Station” by Joe Hisaishi
Back to the subject of death, I shall confess to you that I think of my own on occasion. I wonder what I will get to see and hear, due to curiosity rather than negative ideation. The process ended that fall after my n-th watch of Hayao Miyazaki’s SPIRITED AWAY, when the scene where Chihiro, mouse Boh, mosquito Kashiro and No-Face riding the train struck a deeper chord than usual. Perhaps I’ll be traveling, too—or floating, as the scene gives the impression of—to a distant destination, passing by silhouettes of things I know while angelic piano notes ring out from somewhere. Come to think of it, the train to Zeniba might have been the limbo realm?
10. “Season of the Witch” by Donovan
Switching out burning incense during the Hungry Ghost Month for door-to-door trick-‘r-treating in October used to be a shock for me when I settled stateside. As subdivisions in the Houston region can be huge, friends and family would ready a themed playlist so walking around could seem less of a chore. This slice of psychedelic rock with Scottish roots was a standout, and since then it has grown to be a staple listen when the air becomes more inviting for jack-o’-lanterns. For the film SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK, Lana Del Rey covered the song, which a friend memorably remarked, “This is the witch that’s coming for the boy.” Spooooooky…
