The Autumn Playlist continues with SIDE B.
Two years ago I put together a playlist to perfectly describe the season of autumn/fall. It starts with saying goodbye to summer and accepting that autumn is here to bring many changes; after a serotonin-filled summer of warmth and relaxation, the weather is now about to get cooler and a sense of loneliness is coming upon us. It’s easy to feel lonely as the days get darker and we see less sunlight. The playlist continues with the theme of Halloween and all the spookiness that comes with it — scary, yet fun at the same time. Spirits, ghosts, demons, etc. can represent all things that are buried so far deep inside of us that we pretend they don’t exist, all things that haunt us until we confront them. And as the days grow darker, we understand what it means to let go — by starting a fire and burning down the past. By now the leaves have turned a beautiful gold to mirror the beauty of letting go. Finally, the night is here and we are ready to breakaway.
1. Fall Into You — [Sunny Lax Remix] by Cosmic Gate & JES
“I’m gonna fall into you, just fall into light, under the midnight sky.”
Here comes Fall, before we are even ready for it. It’s time to let go, it’s time for an uncomfortable transition that we must embrace. But it’s not about running away, pushing anything away, or any sort of forced movement. It’s time to go with the seasons and do what feels most natural.
2. Season Of The Witch — Lana Del Rey
“When I look over my shoulder, what do you think I see? Summer kept lookin over his shoulder at me.”
This 1960s cover song is absolutely perfect for autumn. Welcome to the season of the witch.
3. Summer’s Gone — [Yoel Lewis Remix] by Alexandre Bergheau
“The night tells the truth, but I don’t wanna know it now.”
It’s time to accept that summer is over. Autumn brings loneliness as the days get darker. It’s vital to remember that darkness comes to bring us truth and understanding. It is the only way we can face our demons in order to set them free.
4. Harvest — Of The Trees
[Instrumental]
In the olden days before grocery stores, autumn was a season of harvesting crops and conserving them in preparation for the dead of winter. In modern times we can still relate — collecting fun summer memories in anticipation of the lonely winter. As we gradually spend less time going out, and more time cozying up in bed with a heated blanket, we transition from “doing” to “reflecting.” We harvest our experiences and think about what we learned, what we would do differently, what we should change.
5. Sweater Weather — The Neighbourhood
“Head in the clouds, but my gravity’s centered.”
As we get into October, it’s officially time for snuggly sweaters… yet still warm enough for high-waisted shorts.
6. Darkside — Alan Walker
“Don’t be afraid, the shadows know me.”
The more you fight the darkness, the stronger it gets. The more you suppress the darkness, the greater power it gains. Slide into the darkness naturally and without fear.
7. The Veil — Black Sun Empire [ft. Noisia]
“It has been a long journey of deep sleep and automation, but now the veil is no longer.”
Halloween marks the time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. The veil is what blocks us from awareness. Once removed, we see things that we believed could not exist. What would happen if you removed the veil between the consciousness and the unconscious?
8. Ghosts – Japan
“Just when I think I’m winning, when I’ve broken every door, the ghosts of my life blow wilder than before.”
This is an experimental track from 1982. It is an eerie song about feeling cursed. I really like the use of xylophone here.
9. Don’t Get Spooked — Dubloadz [ft. Virtual Riot]
“There a many strange happenings, my boy, many mysteries beyond the power of the human mind the comprehend.”
This spooky song totally captures the mischievous nature of the season. Play with your fears, have fun with them!
10. Friend of the Devil — Grateful Dead
“I set out running but I take my time.”
This reiterates “making a deal with the devil.” What goes up must come down, all highs come with lows, everything catches up to you, no such thing as free lunch, etc. “The devil” is generally used as a symbol that represents everything that is negative. However, symbolically speaking, “the devil” essentially represents “the deal” — giving something up in order to get something else. It is not necessarily evil, nor is it holy. The things we fear the most in life are the things that can give us great pleasure and great pain, simultaneously.
11. Insanity — Mangal Suvarnan [ft. Eshani S]
“You’ve made a slave out of me with your memories.”
To lose your mind means to give up everything you know. It’s not uncommon to find yourself in situations when you are forced to reconsider everything you thought that you knew was true.
12. Cry Murder — Sumo Cyco
“Gonna go off on a tangent like a bandit thief in the night.”
You have to release all your rage and anger or else it will bubble up inside of you as resentment and come back later to haunt you. Halloween is when we dress up in costume and disguise ourselves in order to let our evil parts come out. Suddenly we all have a morbid sense humor and an admiration for horror films, as we decorate our house with skeletons and bloody vampires. (Sure some of us are like this all year, but this is the only socially acceptable time to embrace it.)
13. Dead AF — Krewella
“Dancing with the skeletons out of all the graves you dug.”
Zombies walk among us. This song is about lifeless people who are still alive (zombies) because the only thing that they live for is money. They buy all their “friends” and rely on money, instead of good character, to win people over. Watch out for the zombies, steer clear of them if you want to stay alive.
14. bury a friend — Billie Eilish
“When we all fall asleep, where do we go?”
The message I get from this song is, “should I forgive you or kill you?” — to “kill someone” by cutting him/her out of your life and making him/her feel dead to you. And to “kill someone” means to kill a part of yourself — the memories and feelings inside of you that are tied to that person — essentially committing suicide. As dark as the song may seem, it is actually a positive message of forgiveness.
15. Eyes on Fire — Blue Foundation
“Felling any foe with my gaze.”
I see this as having the bravery to defeat your enemies — and the greatest enemy we have is ourselves. All of your ghosts, demons, etc. can be taken down as long as you believe in yourself. This song comes just as Halloween has ended, as the veil begins to close again and the dark begins to give up its fight with light. After making it through the scariest part of the year, you can now relax and have faith in your ability to overcome darkness.
16. The Gold It’s In The… — Pink Floyd
“Count me in on the journey, don’t expect me to stay.”
November brings falling golden leaves. I see this song as feeling detached from the world and comfortable with letting go. Just going with the flow. There is great confidence that comes with embracing insecurity.
17. Fire and Gold — Bobby Saint
“Believe it, you’re a phoenix.”
Autumn is the process of burning down and surrounding yourself to death, so you are ready to be born again the winter.
18. Burn — Ellie Goulding
“They gonna see us from outer space. Light it up like we’re the stars of the human race.”
You burn down the past by letting go and learning to live in the moment. Worries, anxiety, and stress are all of the negative things that prevent us from fully feeling the present. Free yourself!
19. Golden Hair — Syd Barrett
“Watching the fire dance on the floor.”
Syd Barrett is an interesting man who must’ve had the strangest, most colorful mind. This song is a balanced blend of eeriness and tranquility. How can someone make you feel so comfortable yet uncomfortable at the same time?
20. Good as Gold — Greyson Chance
“I see the light at the end of the dark”
As we enter December, we truly feel the cold in this world and it becomes harder to keep your head held high. Everything around us has died — now we are ready for a fresh start. We made it through the darkest part of the year, we took down our personal demons, and now all that’s left to do is forgive. Keep going, the light is on it’s way — December 22nd.
21. Breaking Ties — OceanLab
“How could we be so right and so wrong?”
Guilt is a heavy chain we wear that prevents us from reaching our higher selves. Forgiveness is freedom. Break free from the past and embrace a beautiful new beginning.
Crystal Aura Gaze 
One thought on “Autumn Playlist (SIDE B)”