12 winter songs that aren’t about Christmas

Every winter, many households have the same debate around when is too early to begin watching Christmas films, listening to Christmas songs, and putting up decorations. Some even think it’s bad luck! Thankfully, for those who want to enjoy the winter season without overdoing it on the Christmas festivities, there are plenty of winter songs that aren’t about Christmas at all.

 

12 winter songs that aren’t about Christmas

We’ve made an effort to include a range of genres in this list, so that there’s a good selection of winter songs for everyone to enjoy.

 

1.  Northern Attitude - Noah Kahan ft Hozier

“If the sun don't rise
'Til the summertime
Forgive my northern attitude
Oh, I was raised on little light.”

Noah Kahan shot to mainstream stardom in 2022 with the release of his album Stick Season, on which the song Northern Attitude features. Several of Kahan’s songs could have made it into this list, as many have a distinctly wintery feeling about them, including the album covers!

It’s thought that Northern Attitude refers to the tendency to shy away from relationships, with the references to winter being a comparison between the cold weather of Kahan’s hometown and a sense of isolation. Check out Kahan’s album Stick Season (Forever) for some bonus tracks where he’s collaborated with some of the biggest names in the music industry today, such as Post Malone and Sam Fender.

 

 

2.  Colder Weather - Zac Brown Band

“He said, I want to see you again
But I'm stuck in colder weather
Maybe tomorrow will be better
Can I call you then?”

If you’re a fan of country music, Colder Weather by Zac Brown Band is a great choice to add to your winter songs playlist. Zac Brown Band are a three-time Grammy award winning group with multiple tracks that have reached certified platinum (awarded when a single has sold more than 2 million copies), and Colder Weather is no exception.

In an interview with Holler, Clay Cook who co-wrote the song with Zac Brown said, “It gives me chills just thinking about when we recorded Colder Weather, everybody knew that was a really good song. That’s an age-proof, timeless song… It feels like we did something that’s going to have an effect.”

The song, from their album You Get What You Give, tells the story of a travelling musician that’s left behind someone they love during the winter.

 

3.  December 1963 (Oh, what a night) - The Four Seasons

“Oh, what a night
Late December back in sixty-three
What a very special time for me
As I remember, what a night.”

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are a highly successful quartet from the 60s and 70s. If you don’t recognise the name, Franki Valli sang the title theme for the hit musical Grease! For this song however, Don Ciccone sang lead vocals to create a clear differentiation between the music of The Four Seasons and the music that Frankie Valli was releasing as a solo artist.

Originally, the song was going to be called ‘December 5^th, 1933’, in reference to  the end of Prohibition in the US. However, this idea was thrown out in favour of making the song about a man’s first experience of romance with a woman instead. Admittedly, the only wintery part of this song is the fact the story is set in December, but we think it should still qualify.

 

4.  Snow on the Beach - Taylor Swift

“And it's like snow at the beach
Weird but f***in' beautiful
Flying in a dream, stars by the pocketful
You wanting me tonight feels impossible
But it's comin' down, no sound, it's all around
Like snow on the beach.”

Snow on the Beach from Taylor Swift’s 2022 album Midnights is about the surreal feeling of falling in love with someone that feels the same way—comparing it to the sight of snow falling on a beach. Taylor is one of the world’s bestselling music artists and already has a huge amount of music awards under her belt in her thirties.

If you’re looking for more songs by Taylor with an autumn/winter feeling, her albums Folklore and Evermore fit perfectly.

 

5.  Wolves of Winter - Biffy Clyro

“You stink of hallelujah
But you wash yourself in sin
Well have you seen her?
This heavenly creature
This is the point we have the choice to survive the winter.”

Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band with an interesting story behind how they got their name. Singer Simon Neil told Spin Magazine, “when me and Ben were 13 and bored in our little Scottish town of Ayr, we'd think up imaginary Cliff Richard merch products… we thought about making Cliff Richard Biro pens. We'd call them Cliffy Biros. Somehow that turned into Biffy Clyro.”

In an interview with NME, the band described Wolves of Winter as a song that represents their attitude towards everyone who didn’t think they would be successful as musicians, personifying themselves as wolves that have survived the winter by fighting off adversity. If you need a song to motivate you to get through the colder months, Wolves of Winter is it.

Related: 23 funny band names you’ll wish you came up with

 

6.  California Dreamin' - The Mamas and the Papas

“All the leaves are brown
And the sky is gray
I've been for a walk
On a winter's day.”

Next on our list of winter songs is The Mamas and the Papas’ first hit single, California Dreamin’. From the point of view of someone missing the warmer climate of LA whilst experiencing a freezing winter in New York; California Dreamin’ was released in 1966 and perfectly describes the experience of dreaming of the summer sun as winter weather rolls in.

 

7.  November Rain - Guns and Roses

“Nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain.”

A song that was years in the making, this Guns and Roses power ballad became the most requested music video on MTV at the time of its release. November Rain discusses the ever-changing emotions of romantic relationships and explores the theme of loss. If you’re in the mood for an emotional ballad to listen to on the colder nights, November Rain definitely fits the bill.

 

8.  Landslide - Fleetwood Mac

“I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow-covered hills
'Til the landslide brought me down.”

No playlist is complete without including one of the best British bands of all time: Fleetwood Mac. Stevie Nicks wrote Landslide whilst living in Aspen, where she really was looking out at ‘snow-covered hills’ and resolving not to give up on her dreams of becoming a successful singer and musician. The song’s lyrics talk about the constant challenges of life, but there are multiple theories regarding what it’s about specifically. Some say the song is about Nicks’ relationship with her father, while others believe it’s about her relationship with her then-partner Lyndsey Buckingham.

Either way, the imagery conveyed in the song makes it a great addition to our winter songs list, with a powerful message about overcoming the constant changes we experience throughout life.

 

9.  Valley Winter Song - Fountains of Wayne

“And the snow is coming down
On our New England town
And it's been falling all day long
What else is new, what could I do
I wrote a valley winter song
To play for you.”

Valley Winter Song features on the Fountains of Wayne 2003 album called Welcome Interstate Managers. You’ll most likely recognise them from their pop rock hit Stacy’s Mom from the same album, which has since become an indie classic.

Valley Winter Song describes the sadness that many experience whilst having to stay shut inside for much of the winter months, but the person singing is writing a song to try and raise the spirits of the girl he’s talking to, even while the cold, dark nights are affecting him too.

Chris Collingwood, the lead singer of the band, revealed in an interview in 2011 that the song was heavily influenced by his experience with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which can cause feelings of low mood throughout the winter. This song makes it into our winter songs list as it reminds us to look after ourselves and each other at a time of year that can be isolating for many.

 

10.  Winter Winds - Mumford and Sons

“As the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts
Oh, the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms
Was it love or fear of the cold that led us through the night?
For every kiss, your beauty trumped my doubt.”

The indie folk band Mumford and Sons released their album Sigh No More in 2009 containing hits such as Winter Winds, The Cave, and Little Lion Man. The use of vintage and traditional folk instruments such as the mandolin and banjo give Mumford and Sons a classic country-folk sound which you can hear in full force on Winter Winds.

The song describes a relationship which has become a losing battle, as the girl in the song makes repeated attempts to save it whilst the singer has already checked out. The winter-based descriptions are utilised in the song to describe a relationship that’s turned cold or ran its course.

 

11.  To Someone from a Warm Climate (Uiscefhuaraithe) – Hozier

“A joy, hard learned in winter was the warming of the bed
You'd shake for minutes there and move your legs
Wrap the blanket over you and keep your head within
Let your breath heat the air until you'd feel it getting thin.”

Since Hozier’s debut single Take Me to Church, he’s had four of his albums reach the UK Billboard’s Top 10. In his songs, Hozier often discusses important topics around religion, politics, and social issues.

To Someone from a Warm Climate is a song that describes the many changes that being in love can bring to someone’s life, using the contrast between warm and cold climates as a comparison. You may be wondering what ‘Uiscefhuaraithe’ means, which is Irish for ‘something that has been chilled by water’, echoing the opening line, “The feel of coldness only water brings.” The line is an attempt to describe the unfamiliar and surprising sensation of falling in love, like being splashed with cold water.

 

12.  Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

“'Cause it's too cold
For you here
And now, so let me hold
Both your hands in the holes of my sweater”

Last on our list of winter songs is Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood. Sweater Weather has become a bisexual anthem since its release in 2013 as the lyrics do not disclose any gender for the subject of the song. The lyrics create a contrast between the warmth and comfort offered by a relationship and the cold weather of winter, making an excellent song to listen to whilst you’re warm inside watching the rain fall.

 

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