Bare Trees

Listen while you read:  Fleetwood Mac

Bare trees, gray light
Oh, yeah, it was a cold night
Bare trees, gray light

I was alone in the cold of a winter's day
You were alone and so snug in your bed
I was alone in the cold of a winter's day
You were alone and so snug in your bed

Bare trees, gray light
Oh, yeah, it was a cold night
Bare trees, gray light

~ Daniel Kirwan (for Fleetwood Mac)

Not much to the lyrics, right? Having loved this song for so many years, I was somewhat surprised to revisit it for this post and realize how minimal the lyrics are. I mean, there are basically four lines! Apply, rinse, repeat. Danny Kirwan was only 22 when he wrote this song, so we'll cut him some slack. It appears on the album of the same name, released in 1972. For me, the album serves as part of the soundtrack for my first year teaching in Bumblefuck, Pennsylvania. Music saved me.

Kirwan was inspired by a poem written by the ancient "Mrs. Scarrott" called "Thoughts on a Gray Day." It's a terrible poem, but if you want to hear it, it can be found as the last track on the album. Truly, Mrs. Scarrott must be the "sentimental lady" in the song of the same title.

In defense of the shortage of lyrics in the song, we can compare it to the bare trees, so beautifully portrayed on the album's cover. (I have often cited the Bare Trees album cover as my favorite.) The lyrics give us color (or lack thereof), light, stark imagery, and temperature. Our senses travel from the cold of a winter's day to the warmth of one's bed. Oh, yeah.

You guessed it. I am back in the cold north, and yes, the trees are bare for the most part. I will seek to find the beauty in this landscape while I am here, and given that my visit will be brief, I don't think that will be hard to do. Call me sentimental, but this is home.