Resonance of Twilight: Emo Western Songs Echoing at Summer’s End
Don’t you ever feel strangely sentimental at the end of summer? Blue skies and white clouds, the sea at dusk, listening to the sound of the waves… We’ve selected classic Western songs that perfectly match that mood.
From tracks you’ll want to listen to while basking in summer memories to slightly emotional ballads and melodies that resonate especially in this season, you’re sure to find a song that speaks to your sensibilities.
Why not savor the bittersweet feelings of summer’s end together with some wonderful Western music?
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Afterglow of Dusk: Emo Western Songs Resonating at Summer’s End (51–60)
The Boys of SummerDon Henley
The Eagles, known as a world-famous rock band born on the American West Coast and celebrated for their overwhelming sales and popularity especially in the 1970s.
Don Henley, famed as the band’s drummer and vocalist, also found success as a solo artist.
His 1984 single “The Boys of Summer” reached No.
5 on the U.
S.
charts and won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance—a true gem of a song.
The instant the guitar intro begins, an indescribable melancholy draws listeners into scenes of summers long past.
The characteristically ’80s synth textures are wonderful, and Henley’s husky, sultry vocals are in peak form.
Singing of regret and lingering attachment to a love that can no longer be reached, intertwined with memories of summers gone by, this track is the perfect classic to hear at summer’s end.
A Summer WastingBelle & Sebastian
Belle and Sebastian are a large ensemble from Glasgow, Scotland, centered around frontman Stuart Murdoch.
For over 25 years they’ve enjoyed a cult following on the indie scene with a sound that achieves a miraculous balance, as if sprinkled with pop magic.
Affectionately known in Japan as “Beruseba,” they boast many ardent fans; beyond their beautiful sound, they’re distinguished by richly poetic, literary lyrics that hint at influences like The Smiths and resist easy interpretation.
This aspect is especially strong in their early work, and since we’re talking end-of-summer songs, I’d like to introduce A Summer Wasting, released in 1998.
Known in Japan by the title “The Summer I Did Nothing,” this track is a bittersweet gem with a naive melody and vocals and a delicate band ensemble.
Taken at face value, it portrays a protagonist lamenting having “wasted the summer,” yet it also contains expressions that can be read as ironic, which makes it intriguing.
It might be nice to listen to this song while recalling what kind of summer you spent.
Love Will Lead You BackTaylor Dayne
Taylor Dayne is a singer who produced several hit songs during the heyday of the 1980s disco sound.
“Love Will Lead You Back” is a track that proved that Taylor—who had mostly released up-tempo, powerful songs up to that point—could also sing a tender love ballad.
It was released in 1989.
Don’t Give Up On UsDavid Soul
David Soul is an actor/singer from the United States.
“Don’t Give Up on Us” is a single released at the end of 1976.
The song was also used as the ending theme for the TV drama Starsky & Hutch and became a huge hit, reaching number one on both the UK and US charts.
His gentle, embracing vocals have a soothing effect on listeners.
Afterglow of Dusk: Emotional Western Songs That Resonate at Summer’s End (61–70)
Yesterday Once MoreCarpenters
The Carpenters are a brother-and-sister duo who still have many devoted fans in Japan.
Their calm, wholesome image is likely a key reason they’ve enjoyed long-lasting support among Japanese listeners.
Among their many hit songs, one of the most singable and memorable is “Yesterday Once More.” It was released as a single in 1973.
In My LifeThe Beatles
“In My Life” is a song included on the Beatles’ 1965 album Rubber Soul.
It is one of the band’s most popular and highly regarded works among Beatles fans and has been covered by many other artists—a true classic among classics.
Heart Of MineBobby Caldwell
The so-called AOR sound, with its urban, mature flavor, feels like a perfect match for that sentimental mood that tends to come at summer’s end.
Bobby Caldwell, a quintessential AOR singer-songwriter, is the embodiment of that vibe in both his sound and his voice.
His popularity is exceptionally high not only in his home country, the United States, but also here in Japan—so much so that he’s sometimes called the “King of AOR.” Here, I’d like to introduce the title track from Heart Of Mine, which Bobby released in 1989 and which became a hit.
His soulful yet refined vocals and the calm, polished arrangement are ideal for enjoying while driving along the coast at the end of summer.
It’s also a self-cover of a song he provided to another AOR luminary, Boz Scaggs, so be sure to enjoy comparing the two versions!