Exam season just finished, and yet, somehow I am more stressed than ever. Especially now as we are getting our grades back and warning letters are being sent out. It really doesn’t help lessen the stress students feel regularly. To stop myself from spiraling down a dark hole, considering how I am far from the grades I want to have, I listen to a lot more calming and folksy music. Though folk music gets a bad reputation, there are some songs that really help mellow a person out, and is pretty to listen to as well. A personal favorite artist of mine is Jasmine Thompson.
Jasmine Thompson is known for her emotional and being full of feeling. Her voice sounds pure and even for a 17 year old, she sings with years of experience and talent. Her mother is Chinese and her father is English, and she grew up living in a low-income household in Central London. She turned to music in rough times, as her father fell to alcoholism, splitting the marriage. Although her parents were not musical, her brother helped her discover her sound and how to play piano and bass. She even ended up attending a performing arts high school. Since then, she’s made a name for herself on YouTube at only 13 years old. Jasmine has worked with high-profile artists such as Meghan Trainor, Julia Michaels, and more. Other people also praised her vocal talents, such as Aviici and Passenger. Nowadays, she sings covers and her own material and has loyal following. In 2013, she had released her first EP, titled “Under the Willow Tree.” This song has some great sounds and lyrics that just feel like a nice warm hug. You can listen to the song below.
“Willow” is my favorite song of hers, as she has a great airy, sharp, and angelic quality to her voice in this song. She accents and articulates her lyrics, which gives it a more clear and folksy sound. The song is in the tempo of a 3/4 waltz, and she wrote the song based on a fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson named, “Under the Willow Tree.” The song has her and the piano with synthesizers and some sort of drum shaker. However, the real star are her vocals. Somehow, she manages to be light and breezy while she spins this tale of a man and a women and a willow. The song being in a 3/4 waltz, mixed with her heavenly vocals, with the synthesizers, create a mystical and vivid image of this fairytale.
The lyrics are also a huge component of the song. The song discusses a man and his wife’s journey, people hypothesize, to having a child. The lyrics of the first verse below describe how they “plant a seed” which is the seed of a child.
He and his wife, once lived happily
Planted a seed, that grew through the reeds
The story continues with them “craving” names into the child, otherwise known as naming a child. It also mentions how if the husband had said something out loud, they would have been able to rekindle the love. This could be about comforting the wife about the baby miscarrying.
Mr. & Mrs., dreamed of a willow
Carving their names, into their willow
If he had spoken, love would return
Spoken inside, too soft to be heard
The next verse discusses how the there should be hope the sun always comes and they will be able to find their “willow,” aka child.
Somewhere the timing will all come together
The mishaps will turn into sunny Decembers
The lovers will be able to find their willow
The repeated verse of “Summers and winters, through snowy Decembers/Sat by the water close to the embers/Missing out the lives that they once had before” explains how they gave up their personal lives for this child. The chorus “I wouldn’t leave you/I would hold you/When the last day comes/What if you need me/Won’t you hold me/On the last day, our last day,” describes how their love for their child and for one another will never fade away.
The song transports you away from your petty issues and stressful situations. It also spins a tale of a married couples parenthood journey. It lets you slip into a world of whimsy and a heavenly soothing voice serenading you. You really should check her other music out on YouTube. Jasmine Thompson is an amazing vocalist and songwriter.
Music and the World Around Us 