Winter
Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum
Bum bum bum bum bum bum
Bum bum bum bum bum bum

This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon,
It rolls in from the sea
My voice; a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light,
To carry you to me.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love

They say that things just cannot grow
Beneath the winter snow,
Or so I have been told.

They say were buried far,
Just like a distant star
I simply cannot hold.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?

This is my winter song.
December never felt so wrong,
'Cause you're not where you belong;
Inside my arms.

Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum
Bum bum bum bum bum bum
Bum bum bum bum bum bum

I still believe in summer days.
The seasons always change
And life will find a way.

I'll be your harvester of light
And send it out tonight
So we can start again.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?

This is my winter song.
December never felt so wrong,
'Cause you're not where you belong;
Inside my arms.

This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon
It rolls in from the sea.

My love a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light
To carry you to me.

Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?




Is love alive?
Is love alive?

Overall Meaning

The opening melody is a simple yet effective way of setting up the mood of the song. Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson collaborated on 'Winter Song,' a haunting track about broken connections and loneliness, which has become staple winter listening since its release in 2008. The song has a metaphorical meaning that describes the atmosphere of winter, where the situation is gloomy, cold and dark, describing the atmosphere of the heart. This song has a similar feeling to George Ezra's 'Budapest' in the sense that 'Winter Song' is a ballad about being away from someone.


The lyrics portray great depths in the song that explains how winter makes the poet feel, from her memory of the person she is missing. It may seem like the lover has perished, and the winter represents death, contrary to the typical meaning of winter being a time of hibernation and-restoration. The singer's intention with the song is to reach out to her lost love during the difficult season, sending signals with words that should not be ignored. The line "my voice is a beacon in the night," is an especially affecting sentiment, and the song becomes a prayer against the odds as the poets wait for their love to sprout like flowers during a nascent spring.


Line by Line Meaning

Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum
Repeating sound indicating the start of the song


This is my winter song to you.
I am dedicating this song to you for the winter season


The storm is coming soon,
Winter storm is approaching


It rolls in from the sea
The storm is coming from the ocean


My voice; a beacon in the night.
My voice is a guiding light in the darkness


My words will be your light,
My words will guide you through the difficult times


To carry you to me.
So you can find your way back to me


Is love alive?
Questioning if love is still present and strong


They say that things just cannot grow
They say that growth is impossible


Beneath the winter snow,
During the winter season


Or so I have been told.
But I am not completely convinced


They say were buried far,
Some people think we are too far apart


Just like a distant star
Like stars which are too far away to reach


I simply cannot hold.
I cannot accept that we are too far apart


This is my winter song.
The song that I have written for winter


December never felt so wrong,
This December feels incomplete without you


'Cause you're not where you belong;
You are not with me where you belong


Inside my arms.
Being held by me


I still believe in summer days.
I still have hope in the future when things get better


The seasons always change
Nothing stays the same forever


And life will find a way.
Life will continue, and we will find our way back to each other


I'll be your harvester of light
I will light the way for you


And send it out tonight
Right now, I will do everything I can to bring us together


So we can start again.
So we can have a fresh new start


Is love alive?
Questioning if love can still thrive between us


This is my winter song to you.
Again, dedicating a song to you for the winter season


The storm is coming soon
The approaching winter storm


My love a beacon in the night.
My love is a guide in the darkness


My words will be your light
My words will lead you to me


To carry you to me.
To bring you back to me


Is love alive?
Reiterating the question of whether love is still alive between us


Is love alive?
Continuing to ask the question


Is love alive?
Questioning whether love can still exist


Is love alive?
Asking this question multiple times throughout the song


Is love alive?
Asking again about whether love is still present


Is love alive?
Continuing to wonder if love is still there


Is love alive?
Still questioning if our love can survive the distance


Is love alive?
Asking one last time if love is still alive between them




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@maddie7790

This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon,
It rolls in from the sea
My voice; a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light,
To carry you to me.
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love
They say that things just cannot grow
Beneath the winter snow,
Or so I have been told.
They say were buried far,
Just like a distant star
I simply cannot hold.
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
This is my winter song.
December never felt so wrong,
'Cause you're not where you belong;
Inside my arms.
Bum bum bum bum bum bum bum bum
Bum bum bum bum bum bum
Bum bum bum bum bum bum
I still believe in summer days.
The seasons always change
And life will find a way.
I'll be your harvester of light
And send it out tonight
So we can start again.
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
This is my winter song.
December never felt so wrong,
'Cause you're not where you belong;
Inside my arms.
This is my winter song to you.
The storm is coming soon
It rolls in from the sea.
My love a beacon in the night.
My words will be your light
To carry you to me.
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?
Is love alive?



All comments from YouTube:

@shiguresgirl

I would pay so much money to get Ingrid & Sara to collaborate on an entire album together.

So. Much. Money.

@twinkietube5451

5 years ago damn

@gapgirl321

@@chrise.3814 work on your material. that was painfully unfunny. to a 7 year old comment at that.

@Taniere

How much?

@supersizesenpai

@@gapgirl321 I kind of chuckled a little bit cuz it was so out of pocket. lol

@mayaelisheva3501

This song is what musical dreams are made of
I mean
Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson IN THE SAME SONG
with gorgeous harmonies
I can't.

@tiffy717

Two of my favorite artists, in ONE SONG? Omg my life is for fulfilled.  

@RaziyatheRavager

Ikr? It's beautiful.

Listen to it with Rainymood, though... if you like the rain. At least once. It's sooooo peaceful.

@tiffy717

Brutal Doomguy OMG, best idea ever!

@RaziyatheRavager

Let it be said that I am not without a soft side.

It's mostly for the SSG, buuut I can make an exception for Ingrid Michaelson. She and I go waaaay back.

More Comments

More Versions