"Do You Believe In Magic?" - The Lovin' Spoonful
In later interviews, Lovin' Spoonful front man John Sebastian would say that he wrote "Do You Believe In Magic?" for purely commercial reasons. He would state that he wrote the tune merely because he wanted to appeal to teenagers, and that the song didn't reflect his personal feelings. Be that as it may, it doesn't diminish the magic of the song itself! The rolling beat and the jangling autoharp get me feeling happy right away, and the message of the lyrics (music and dance can help you get away from your troubles) is delightfully hopeful. The whole tune carries a light, bouncy vibe that I immediately associate with springtime!
"Homegrown Western Saturday Night" - Chris LeDoux
Picture this: you've been cooped up in your house all winter. You've watched as the trees outside have gone from vivid reds and yellows to bare branches. Cabin fever is starting to set in. Then, eventually, you notice something: temperatures are rising and the trees outside are budding. It's spring, and you're gonna GO OUTSIDE! And while you're outside, why not PARTY? To me, few songs express that "let's party outside!" feeling better than "Homegrown Western Saturday Night." The songs conjure up such vivid imagery; I close my eyes and see the old man making his town-famous steak and apple pie, Jim and Sally sitting in the porch swing, the kids playing tag in the tall grass, and the local band plying their trade in the old bandstand. I can see it, and I want to BE there!
"Little April Shower" - Bambi
"Little April Shower" has always been one of my favorite Disney songs! Unfortunately, it's also one of the most underrated; people seem to like it, but it often gets shunted to the side by flashier tunes. That's neither here nor there, though. What is important is that this song reminds me of how magical spring showers can be! I used to love rain as a kid, and then I became a stick in the mud when I grew up and had to drive in it. "Little April Shower" reminds me of all there is to love about rain. In other words, it makes me feel like a kid again!
"Wagon Wheel" - Darius Rucker
There's something about folk music that smacks of spring. There's something about the image of haggard tramps wandering back roads and plucking guitars that reminds me of springtime. "Wagon Wheel" isn't a folk song, strictly speaking, but it feels like one, and that's what matters. There's something amazingly romantic about the idea of a guy hoofing it across the country to get back to the girl he loves, and the spare arrangement only solidifies the image of this guy shambling along the side of the road, with holes in his shoes and worn patches on his jacket. I love it!
"Young Hearts" - Commuter
What's springtime without spring fever, and what's spring fever without young love? And not just young love, but the most INTENSE kind of young love, the kind that burns bright and hot for a little while before it fades away into memory forever. For me, "Young Hearts" does a perfect job of conveying the feeling of that kind of romance. I think it's something about the chorus. The lyrics are simple, but they evoke so much of that feeling I'm describing:
Young hearts beat fast
Driving down the road
Rubber, plastic, metal, glass
Why did you have to go?
Young hearts die young
When they're all alone
And there's no turning back now...
It's cheesy, overly dramatic, and '80s-kitschy, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's spring fever in song form! (Of course, the song involves death in a car crash, but we'll just avoid that unfortunate detail!)
Great list. I love Do You Believe in magic?
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