I start all of my seasonal playlists in the same way — by listening to my liked songs on Spotify and waiting until I hear one that I feel would serve as a good starting place or baseline for the upcoming season. This past November, it was “Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying” by Labi Siffre that felt an absolutely perfect opening to my winter playlist.
The first time that I can remember hearing this song was the previous winter when I first watched the film, The Holdovers. I listened to the track throughout much of that winter after I watched the film, and because it had been quite some time since I had last heard it back in November, I was filled with the comfort of rediscovering a song layered with nostalgia and profound songwriting and construction.
Beyond the warmth that this track brings me, the part that I find most fascinating about it is the way that it builds upon itself as it progresses. The lyrics follow the same pattern throughout, with each section introducing the next word from the title, beginning with “crying.” Siffre first lays out how each word — or rather, action — impacts people or himself specifically. He follows this up by remarking on whether or not he participates in each of the actions.
This format allows for a really interesting commentary about why people do what they do. For example, for the first three words, — crying, laughing, loving — Siffre’s participation in the actions aligns with his views on how they impact others or himself. For example, he recognizes that loving has never treated him well, so now, he does not love. However, for the last word, lying, Siffre acknowledges that even though lying has never been of help to anyone, he still does it.
Because the song ends after he makes these remarks about lying, there is a lot of room open for interpretation. It is possible that Siffre could be alluding to a specific moment in his life in which he lied even when he knew it wouldn’t bring about any good, but even if this is the case, he is still making a very impactful point about how people function. For others, crying may be the thing they don’t do, even if it would be necessary. Similarly, some people may have a hard time loving, even if it would bring them happiness. Whatever the case may be, Siffre is bringing to light the fact that people often have a hard time doing things that are in their best interest. Writing this song could be his way of coming to terms with his own involvement in this matter.
My interest in this song has grown exponentially over this winter. For me, it has evolved from a comforting track from a Christmastime film into a beautifully written and structured song that still retains its solace and charm. This transformation in how I feel about and view songs is something that I always look forward to. Revisiting a song that I haven’t heard in some time always allows for new interpretations and is the closest I can get to hearing a song for the first time again. I am very glad that this track came up again this winter, and I am looking forward to whatever could be next.
