Playlist and article by: Sadie Tresnit
It might sound a bit morbid, but I can confirm that the Eugene Pioneer Cemetery is one of the best spots on campus to hang out when the weather is nice. When I first came to UO, I was amazed at how quiet the cemetery was compared to every other part of the university. Rather than feeling oppressive, the silence is oddly comforting. When I’m nearby, I always take the opportunity to walk through the graveyard to read the names on the headstones and enjoy a break from the hubbub of campus life. Of course, every good graveyard walk needs a playlist, and I’m happy to share mine.
Cemetry Gates - The Smiths
No playlist about a graveyard, especially one put together by an English major, would be complete without this song. Morrissey’s line about a “dreaded sunny day” might particularly resonate with Eugene residents accustomed to year-round cold and rain. If you’re in the mood for a mini existential crisis, I recommend listening to the first verse while surrounded by headstones. Nothing gets me in the summer mood quite like pondering the significance of human life.
Dancing Barefoot - Patti Smith
Who wouldn’t want to dance barefoot in a graveyard if given the opportunity? While the subject matter of this song doesn’t necessarily match the playlist’s setting, its otherworldliness conjures up the idea of ghosts. I like to imagine the ghosts dancing with me to this tune because everyone deserves some fun in the afterlife.
Summer Teeth - Wilco
I’m a sucker for happy-sounding songs with sad lyrics and this is one of my all-time favorites. In my mind, this song sounds like a cheerful spring bike ride. It even opens with birds chirping, for Pete’s sake. What could be happier than that? But the lyrics reveal an underlying loneliness and hint of depression as the song’s subject eats his supper alone every night and “hits snooze twice before he dies.” The dreamy chorus perfectly matches the feeling of the graveyard when sunlight streams through the trees and no one else is around.
Whistling Through the Graveyard - MGMT
I mean, come on. This title really couldn’t be more ideal for a sunny cemetery walk. The instrumental track sets the pace for a leisurely stroll while sounding the perfect amount of haunted. The pioneer ghosts should love this one.
Wakin On A Pretty Day - Kurt Vile
This track is long compared to the others on this list, coming in at over nine minutes, and it’s worth listening to every second. Kurt Vile has a talent for writing songs you can almost melt into, and this one goes above and beyond to meet that reputation. As you drift through the cemetery, you should feel like you’re one part sunlight, one part ghost, and one part music. This song will get you there.
Paris 1919 - John Cale
For some historical spookiness, John Cale has you covered. The former Velvet Underground multi-instrumentalist weaves together a haunting melody and a lyrical tale of the end of the first world war. Of course, there are ghosts (you might even end up feeling like one yourself). This song is particularly striking when you’re near the veterans' section of the cemetery.
Temporary Things - Candy Picnic
From Eugene favorites Candy Picnic, this track particularly suits the graveyard. As the lead singer considers an eternity “beyond the world of temporary things,” while you’re surrounded by burial plots, you’ll immediately be reminded of the fleeting nature of human life. Fun! But don’t worry, Candy Picnic is known for their house show performances so you can rest assured that this song is almost ridiculously danceable.
Uncle Alvarez - Liz Phair
Phair describes an old portrait hanging on the wall in this song, but it could just as easily apply to the names on the headstones in the graveyard. While you’re walking through and enjoying the nice weather, it’s important to reflect a bit on the people below your feet. Who were they really? Catchy as many of the songs from the album, this song brings up interesting questions about legacy. How will you be remembered?
Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
A perennial wistful summer favorite, this song captures some of the same cheery loneliness as Summer Teeth. It has the perfect balance of almost childlike innocence and deep adult isolation with the added bonus of being one of the most beautiful songs ever written. Every time I hear this song, it reminds me of summers in the past. This one is best for when you’re walking alone and the sun is almost setting.
Soul Love - David Bowie
This song is first and foremost about different kinds of love (the title should be a giveaway), but in many ways, it’s also about the haunted past. The first verse is the best example of this idea as Bowie describes a mother visiting her son’s grave. It’s a moving portrait of human connection that just so happens to sound like a long summer evening.
Heaven - Talking Heads
Over a mellow, repetitive rhythm, this song paints a monotonous picture of the afterlife. To me, it sounds like the end of the day, or the end of the walk in this case. Maybe you’ll be inspired to “play it all night long,” In any case, its dreamlike cadence fits in with the feeling of the cemetery. Some of the graves there are so old and unchanging, it might really be the place where nothing ever happens. And I have to say, I like that a lot.