February is not just special because it’s love month. It’s also the only month with fewer than 30 days.
Not only that. February marks the end of winter. This is also the time when we celebrate Chinese New Year, President’s Day, and Groundhog Day. Plus, it is Black History Month.
With all these things making February pretty special, it’s no wonder songwriters penned songs about it. They perfectly capture all the moods in the month, from loss to love and other themes. So here are 10 of the best songs about February to spruce up your playlist.
1. “Xmas In February” By Lou Reed
Despite its debut thirty years ago, “Xmas in February” remains popular among rock lovers. This story song stands out from Lou Reed‘s most successful album, New York.
While the song’s title sounds merry, “Xmas in February” bears an emotional background. It depicts the tale of Sam, a Vietnam war veteran, who returns home in February to tribulations. Sam discovers that his wife and child have abandoned him and that he couldn’t find work.
The line, “he’s a reminder of the war that wasn’t won,” points to the fact that he no longer has a home. He used to think that joining the army would secure his future. But it’s a far cry from the life he comes back to.
2. “February Song” By Josh Groban
Up next, we have a song with “February” in the title. Josh Groban‘s “February Song” is the last single from his third studio album, Awake.
Here, the singer seems to have lost sight of who he is and who he wants to be. We can assume that the title refers to that point in the singer’s life when he got “lost.” It’s the time when things are changing, perhaps due to relationships ending or other significant events.
However, the singer assures himself that he’ll be all right and that he’ll “come back to you one day.”
3. “My Funny Valentine” By Frank Sinatra
A February song compilation can’t be complete without featuring Valentine’s Day. Frank Sinatra covered “My Funny Valentine” for his 1954 album Songs for Young Lovers.
In this feel-good song, the singer makes light of his funny romantic interest. He quips that her “looks are laughable, unphotographable.” However, he reaffirms that he adores her just as she is and that she is his “favorite work of art.”
He further convinces her to stay the same and not change anything for him. She obviously makes him happy as he thinks that every day is Valentine’s day with her.
4. “February Air” By Lights
Our next entry, “February Air,” adds an upbeat flair to our best February song compilation. The electro-pop hit by Lights is the ninth single from her 2009 studio album, The Listening.
The lyrics portray a troubled relationship. The singer pleads with her lover not to let her go, emphasizing how much they know each other, like the back of their hands.
This song with “February” in the lyrics reflects the singer’s fear of having to face the world on her own. So she implores her lover to hold her as she gets cold in the February air.
5. “Two Days In February” By Goo Goo Dolls
The heartfelt song “Two Days in February” is a standout single from Goo Goo Dolls‘ third studio album, Hold Me Up. The title doesn’t appear in the lyrics, but some say it refers to the two-day relationship vocalist John had with a girl.
The track tells the story of a lover who moves to live on the other side of the country. Despite hanging her picture on the wall, the singer attempts to act like he’s over her.
But there’s nothing he can do as they are not together. He’s still in love with her, but the distance is making it hard to make the relationship work. In the end, he realizes that he no longer needs her.
6. “February Stars” By Foo Fighters
If there’s a song about coming to terms with something, this is it. “February Stars” is a single from Foo Fighters‘ 1997 album, The Colour and the Shape. The song breaks away from the album’s metal production for a mellow Beatle-Esque flair.
Many can resonate with this song, which is about a relationship in its last stages. Here, the singer finds himself still holding on, but his grip is slipping away. Now he’s simply a spectator, watching her “come and go.”
The last verses of the song reflect his feelings about coming to terms with the end of the relationship. We can imagine him lying on the hood of his car somewhere, watching the February stars in the dark.
7. “February Seven” By The Avett Brothers
North Carolina’s folk band, The Avett Brothers, continued its musical magic in “February Seven.” The song is a single from their seventh album, The Carpenter. Songwriter Scott Avett stated that the title refers to a lesson he learned on this date. However, he provided no further explanation.
As a result, listeners assign their own interpretations of the song. It’s easy to conclude that it could be about infidelity from certain clues in the lyrics. The singer is looking for “something true,” meaning he is not satisfied with his current situation.
“A perfect blade” could be about him cheating, leading to “beads of lust released into the air.” He realizes his misdeed when he “awakened from the dream.” And now he’s “ready to begin,” perhaps alluding to the fact that he wants to right his wrong with his wife.
8. “February 3rd” By Jorja Smith
We can smell a relationship in trouble in Jorja Smith‘s “February 3rd.” This is her solo project as she broke away from high-profile collaborations that propelled her into the mainstream. The title refers to the date when Smith wrote the song.
The lyrics of this song mention “February” to address a failed relationship. She complains that she had given all of her “love to this broken home.” Her life revolved around him, but it came to the point that the love she gave him exhausted her.
But she’s not ready to end everything yet. She implores, “Why don’t you lose yourself for me?” It tells us that throughout their relationship, she’s always the one making an effort.
9. “February” By Dar Williams
It’s normal for couples to go through a rough patch in their relationship. Dar Williams’ “February,” tells us that it’s not all about spring and summer. There are also autumn and winter seasons in a relationship.
The song uses winter as a metaphor to depict a tough time. But February is especially difficult as it is the last stage of the winter season. The second verse of the song tells about forgetting where they planted the bulbs, forgetting that they planted them, and forgetting the plants that go together. This tells us that they have started to neglect the relationship.
The singer finds herself asking, “Can we live through February?” Sadly, their relationship has shifted from one of love to one that’s just going through the motions.
10. “February 2017” By Charli XCX Ft. Clairo & Yaeji
Completing our list is “February 2017.” This upbeat gem by Charli XCX came from her third studio album, Charli. This song was co-written by Clairo and Yaeji.
“February 2017” describes a singer who is filled with remorse for breaking her lover’s heart. She is sorry for what she did, only realizing how good his love is after losing him.
Now without him in her life, she experiences unrest from his anger. She spends nights crying, no longer able to pretend that she’s okay. It hurts more to know that he reads her messages but won’t give her a single reply.
Summing Up Our List Of February Songs
Perhaps you expected our list to be flooded with songs about love. After all, we celebrate Valentine’s Day in February. As you can tell by this list, the songs delve into a wide range of topics inspired by this month.
It’s surprising to see that February is not just about love. It’s also about heartbreak and relationships ending. But it’s also about musings and realizations from these experiences.
We hope you enjoyed our diverse yet intriguing selection of songs today. But more than that, we wish that you have a takeaway from our songwriters’ experiences.
