As autumn approaches and the leaves lose their lustrous green, the question must be asked: What shall I listen to now? Songs about summer loving simply no longer make sense. Fall is the season for pining. Pining for a more interesting plot, if we are being honest. 

Cravings for a cozy fall where one can wrap themselves up in a blanket without beading with sweat. When cozied up, there must be a playlist queued that encapsulates this moment. Here is a guide for a beginner’s playlist for fall.

The first song on this playlist must be “There She Goes” by The La’s. If you are not wishing you are her, then you are her. She is always in a rush, bustling around town and cannot help but draw the attention of others. Passerbiers wonder where she is going. Why is she in such a rush?

“There She Goes” serves as the perfect song when you are walking around town and observing the autumnal hues. It is also rather helpful when you are in a rush to class. I swear I always pick up the pace when listening to this song.

I must include on this playlist “Give You My Lovin” by Mazzy Star. Autumn is the season of pining, and what better song to pine for other than “Give You My Lovin?”

Mazzy Star creates a sweet yet melancholic song with notes of folk. This pairs quite sweetly with the cooling weather and the colorful bursts of leaves. 

When you are done pining for love after listening to “Give You My Lovin,” you must follow it with “Linger” by The Cranberries. 

The first 50 seconds of the song puts you into a melodic trance. Then the guitar picks up, awakening you from your daze. “Linger” is the perfect ballad for fall. It is what every indie guitar pop group aspires to create. 

The next song on this playlist must be “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer. All of your pining is now becoming worth it. Your love interest is showing interest in return. You are entering your lover era and this song is your theme. 

It has been featured in countless 2000s shows as the characters fall in love. This indie song materializes the butterflies of a young love forming in fall.

Now that you are in love, it is time to play “Reflecting Light” by Sam Phillips. This song plays as you are on a late night walk with the love of your life. You are hit with the realization of how no moment will ever be as sweet or as perfect as it is now. 

Phillips vocalizes what it means to rediscover your child-like curiosity through this sweet melody accompanied by the gentle strums of an acoustic guitar. 

You are so deeply in love now, you jump on every crunchy leaf for the pure joy of it. You are now listening to “Archie, Marry Me” by Alvvays. This song depicts the lightheartedness of fall. 

You have no worries. You are just casually asking for marriage. There is not much to it.

Fall is the season of change. Boom. You are no longer in love. 

You are mourning, and in your state of mourning, you are listening to “Get Me Away from Here I’m Dying” by Belle and Sebastian. 

While you are depressed that the love of your life, your situationship, has left you, you cannot give in and listen to The Smiths. There truly is no coming back from listening to The Smiths while sad. It will perpetuate your sadness for the next decade. 

This is why you must listen to Belle and Sebastian. While they sing some of the most depressing lyrics, the song’s fun and bouncy tune counteracts any impacts the lyrics may have.

You have mourned your loss of love and now are in recovery. You are rediscovering the joys of being single. You listen to “My Little Corner of the World” by Yo La Tengo and appreciate the colors fall has to offer once again. 

This song is the coziest of songs. When you listen to it, you automatically snuggle up in your blankets and hum along.

Now that you are content with your independence, you can listen to the angsty songs of fall. You are staging your comeback, and in your comeback, you listen to “Chances” by The Strokes. 

The Strokes provide the perfect punk-grunge songs for fall. You cannot be bothered and this song reflects that feeling.

Oh no, your situationship is trying to come back into your life, and you let it happen. While doing so, you are listening to “Hello It’s Me” by Todd Rundgren. 

This song is poisonous but also has some of the best instrumentals. If you listen to it in a vulnerable state, you would be more likely to take your ex back. It is just that good.

You are still trying to move on as you listen to “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley. Will you actually make this your last goodbye? 

Winter is now approaching and you are going to be depressingly making gingerbread houses if you cannot let this go. Buckley’s high notes paired with an electric guitar highlight the struggles of moving on, and the gray skies of fall provide the perfect setting for this feeling of turmoil.

Well you did not say goodbye, and you are now suffering the consequences. You could have enjoyed the remainder of your fall, but now you are stuck listening to “Are You Lonesome Like Me” by The Feminine Complex. 

This song of desolation has a calming rhythm to it which puts its listener into a state of pensiveness. It finishes this playlist and with it the season of fall comes to an end. Afterward, you may listen to “Last Christmas” by Wham.

Oestreicher can be reached at [email protected].