21 Top Songs About November
Contents
12. “November Tale” by the Waterboys
Song year: 2015
The particularly poetic Mike Scott tells a tale of a couple grown apart after the changes in their personalities, interests, and beliefs over the years. The speaker meets a woman he used to know in his youth who has become religious since he last saw her.
As they converse, she tries to convince our narrator that the solution to his everlasting grief is in God, not in escaping the place he used to live. Eventually, they come to a compromise and agree that they’re both right in a way.
The song then ends with a final chorus referencing the days of their youth when they met at a carnival dressed as a harlequin and a clown.
13. “November” by Emerson Drive
Song year: 2004
Emerson Drive’s “November” is the next country song on this list. This hopeful tune sees the narrator remembering a November when he began a relationship with the “one who got away” and from whom he went his separate ways for reasons he does not understand.
So, whenever November comes around, he remembers her and the happy times they had with each other. Naturally, these thoughts lead him to wonder why they split up as he uses the image of a dark December to evoke dread in the listener.
14. “Rose Hip November” by Vashti Bunyan
Song year: 1970
Vashti Bunyan reminds us of the hope, light, and warmth of summer in this song about November. Her lyrics in the laid-back 1970 song conjure images of untamed, wild, beautiful pastureland in the heart of England.
She describes fog hanging over castle moats, hills, and snow coming down over the rolling landscape. As winter approaches, she nonetheless notices “rose hips” on the ground, the berries left behind by fertile roses, and remembers that spring will eventually return.
15. “November was White, December was Grey” by Say Hi
Song year: 2009
Say Hi operates in a similar vein to Vashti Bunyan with this piece. Starting strong with the image of a fire crackling in the cold, frozen wilderness, Say Hi then describes the restless feeling of this song’s narrator.
They cannot sleep in the winter, trudging through the white days of November and the darkened days of December. While they wait for spring, they pace through the house, hoping for a sign of life to finally come. When it does, winter will leave, and they can sleep at last.
16. “November Skies” by Tomas Barfod feat. Nina Kinert
Song year: 2012
This song, which features Swedish vocalist Nina Kanert, starts gloomily but slowly moves into hope. At the song’s start, the narrator lives a life devoid of light, hungry for hope and happiness.
That is until the chorus reveals they can now see the world for what it is: a beautiful, colorful place, no matter the season.
Toward the end they wonder if what she sees is an illusion but conclude that question doesn’t matter; all that matters is they have become a better, happier version of themselves.
17. “Sweet November” by SZA
Song year: 2021
SZA wrote this 2014 song about a near-death experience she had one year. She starts the song strongly with a poetic first verse full of images that show death beckoning and God hinting at her time coming.
The verse reflects what she was experiencing at the time: a serious illness that left her questioning if she would live.
When she moves into the chorus, she begs her family to remember her as someone strong and kind, not someone physically ill and wondering what was to come.
18. “November Song” by Yerin Baek
Song year: 2016
25-year-old Yerin Baek brings her vocal talents to this lovely, jazzy song about falling in love in November. The narrator describes enjoying the little things in a relationship that reflect its actual nature, such as candid photos, quiet moments, or enjoying music together.
To the narrator, these moments make clear there is no need to look elsewhere; this couple is meant to be together forever.
19. “November” by Azure Ray
Song year: 2002
At first glance, Azure Ray’s “November” seems to handle seasonal depression once again, but a closer look reveals a much sadder meaning: the narrator has lost someone, and November reminds them of the loss.
They are waiting for longer days, not because they’re warmer, but because they remove the narrator from the constant reminder that someone is no longer in their life.
But they also know that being so far removed from their pain will only solve things for a time because it will return every November.
20. “November” by PatrickReza
Song year: 2019
There must be some magic in November that either ends relationships or starts them, as this is the umpteenth song about a relationship that begins in November, using the word “remember” as the rhyming couplet to the name of the name.
While the upbeat electronic music is perhaps more the draw with this PatrickReza song, its lyrics are nonetheless interesting.
They describe someone meeting their lover on a strange occasion: getting out of a car that drops them off, before it sets on fire, which prompts the narrator to talk to the object of his affection.
21. “Late November” by Sandy Denny
Song year: 1970
Luckily our last song about November is devoid of cliches and produced by the talented Sandy Denny. However, that does not mean the lyrics are readily understandable.
This series of images seem to describe a journey undertaken in late November or a dream that brings the narrator a sudden clarity.
But do not let the dense lyrics scare you off. Denny’s voice ably carries these bizarre words over calm, folky instrumentation, similar to many of the songs that use piano music, perfect to listen to in late November itself.
Best Songs About November, Final Thoughts
Whether it’s a Guns N’ Roses song or one by SZA, we hope you enjoyed this list of songs about November!
They span from rap, to rock, to folk music and all capture the many images, feelings, and temperatures we associate with this month.
