Released: 2008
Fleet Foxes’ ‘White Winter Hymnal’ is a song that paints a vivid picture of winter, and the innocence of childhood contrasted with the harsh realities of life. It uses symbolic language and metaphors to convey a sense of nostalgia and loss.
The phrase ‘I was following the pack, all swaddled in their coats’ paints a picture of the singer as part of a group, perhaps children, warmly dressed against the winter cold. The term ‘swaddled’ is often used to describe how babies are wrapped tightly in blankets, suggesting a sense of comfort and protection.
‘With scarves of red tied ’round their throats, to keep their little heads from falling in the snow’ – This line might be seen as a metaphor for the vulnerability of youth, with the red scarves symbolizing both warmth and a kind of danger, as red is often associated with blood and injury.
‘And I turned ’round and there you go, And Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red as strawberries in the summertime’ – This line is a sudden shift from the comfort and protection of the previous lines. The name ‘Michael’ could be a specific person or a symbol for all children. The fall and the red snow could represent a loss of innocence, or a tragic event.
Overall, ‘White Winter Hymnal’ uses the imagery of winter and childhood to convey a sense of nostalgia, loss, and the harsh realities of life. It’s a song that can be interpreted in many ways, but its beauty lies in its ability to evoke strong emotions and memories.
