Five Songs About ... Snow

Winter's first arctic emergence is expected tomorrow. It's time to settle in, brew some warm beverages and relax. For me, it's time to start thinking about some winter-flavored tunes rope into the ol' playlist. The guidelines: none other than songs about snow. No linking to Snow Patrol, though. That would be cheating.

Listen to these songs that celebrate the white stuff, and kindly leave your own choices in the comments.

5. The Pernice Brothers, “Pisshole in the Snow.”
Joe Pernice is a master of the pop song, both upbeat and gentle. The warm guitars in this one act as a bulwark against the cold outside. This tune is also, beyond any question, the most romantic song ever to include the word “Pisshole.” Hear the song streaming by clicking on the “Discover a Lovelier You” album cover here.

More songs with YouTube videos after the jump.

4. Death Cab for Cutie, “I Was a Kaleidoscope.”
“I put on my overcoat and walked into winter, my teeth chattered rhythms ... And I was a kaleidoscope/The snow on my lenses distorting the image of what was only one of you.” Ben Gibbard's angelic voice means he can pull this off.

3. Prince, “Sometimes it Snows in April.”
Yes, the snow in this one is a metaphor, even though the title is strictly accurate. No, we don't care about either fact. We care that this is a lovely gem from early Prince, and its somber tone fits in with the time of year. No, I don't know what's up with the video, and to the video's owner, I'm sorry for alerting Prince about this so he can sue you.

2. Clipse, “Keys Open Doors.”
If you're going to do lists like this, you've got to expand your interpretation at some point. In this case, that means slipping in a coke rap track. You were expecting maybe Bing Crosby's “White Christmas?” Some will say I should have picked something from Ghostface's “Fishscale” album, but I'm saving those cuts for “Five songs about fish.”

1. Dean Martin, “Let it Snow.”
After all these years, nothing touches this song. The Dean Martin version, in particular, stands up -- after hearing Dan The Automator's remix of Deano doing “Jingle Bells,” I recall thinking fondly of his timeless voice. Maybe because I had guzzled six hot toddies. But still. The first YouTube clip I'm linking to splices “Let it Snow” with “Winter Wonderland,” making it two classics for the price of one. The second is The Temptations' version of the same song. Pass the hot cocoa and don't skimp on the marshmallows, y'all.