18 essential songs about spring

The perfect song for when the chilly days end and the clouds start to part, this 1969 Beatles classic was written by George Harrison following a tough period for the band that culminated in Harrison's brief departure. But it's ultimately hopeful, written during a particularly sunny April at the country cottage of fellow rock legend Eric Clapton. 

Is there a more optimistic song in music history than "I Can See Clearly Now?" This Johnny Nash classic was influenced by the island-inspired sound of Bob Marley and remains iconic thanks to its sunny, upbeat outlook. 

This 1965 Simon and Garfunkel song uses the changing of the seasons as a comparison point for the changing moods of a particularly temperamental love interest. Spring brings abundance and comfort, while the chill of winter represents love turned cold. 

Written about an actual sunny day at a Swiss chalet, "Mr. Blue Sky" is the perfect soundtrack for a beautiful and warm spring day when you've got plenty to look forward to. 

Considering that much of the Beach Boys catalog is dedicated to having a good time, it's perhaps not surprising that they recorded a tune about spring break. "Spring Vacation" is a song about good vibes and enjoying the warm weather. 

Even though it doesn't explicitly mention spring, "Beautiful Day" is packed with metaphors centered around the year's most bountiful season, and you'll want to crank up the volume on those mornings when you wake up to the sun shining through your window. 

Not all songs about spring are hopeful, as evidenced by this classic recorded by everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to the Divine Miss M. "Spring is here, there's no mistaking, robins building nests from coast to coast," Midler sings. "My heart tries to sing so they won't hear it breaking, spring can really hang you up the most." 

Noting that spring doesn't portend great weather worldwide, Johnny Horton croons an important fact on "When It's Springtime in Alaska," reminding us all that when April arrives in Alaska, it's still 40 degrees below zero. 

Who doesn't want to experience Paris, France, in the spring? On this jazz classic, Holiday points out that you've never truly experienced spring until you've been amongst the blooming chestnuts in the City of Light. 

In an ode to the natural abundance of spring, Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan praises everything from the "dark and wetted soil" that grows new life to the "green leaves under berries" in "The Lullaby of Spring." 

It's not technically about spring, but "Feeling Good" is the song you definitely want to listen to on the first warm day of the year, when as she sings, the sun is in the sky, and birds are flying high. Just try not to have a little spring in your step after listening to Simone's swaggery singing while getting ready for work. 

A standard of the American songbook written by Richard Rodgers, Ella Fitzgerald recorded the most famous version of "Spring Is Here" in 1956. 

Appearing on guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana's 1999 comeback album Supernatural, "Primavera" takes its name from the Spanish word for spring. Add it to the soundtrack for your first backyard barbecue of the spring, and get ready to dance. 

Maybe it's the allergies, maybe it's post-winter malaise, but Tori Amos finds herself in a "Spring Haze" on this deep cut, which appears on her 1999 album To Venus and Back.

Name-checking Easter, cotton candy at Coney Island, and blooming flowers, "Spring Again" is all about why springtime is the best time to fall in love — or simply enjoy the simple pleasures of the season, like warm weather and new spring outfits. 

Written for the Rogers and Hammerstein film State Fair, "It Might As Well Be Spring" was recorded by Frank Sinatra in 1961, but it's also been recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Peggy Lee, Shirley Bassey, and more iconic singers. 

The arrival of spring brings the arrival of a new love on this 1976 Donna Summer hit, which originally was eight minutes long before it was trimmed down for release on radio. 

A reference to the classic adage "April showers bring May flowers," this 1921 standard has been recorded by countless artists, the most famous among them Al Jolson, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, and Frank Sinatra.