For My Sunday Song #307, we are discussing the song “Seasons of Wither” by Aerosmith. The song is off their 1974 album ‘Get Your Wings’ and though not a single, was one of the great deep cuts. The album only went to #74 on the U.S. Charts but has since sold over 3,000,000 copies in the U.S. alone.

The song was written solely by Steven Tyler who was in a really bad place at the time. You see, he was doing his taxes and he owed a boatload of cash and that but him in a bad mood. He went down in to the basement of the building they were in, grabbed some drugs and Joey Kramer’s dumpster find of a guitar, lit some incense and wrote this song. No, it actually isn’t about taxes. It is about the winter season and the Massachusetts’ landscape which has that melancholy vibe which fit his mood at the time.

The band goes back to a much darker vibe with “Seasons of Wither” and opens with a blowing wind and an acoustic guitar and both sound so ominous and eerie. Not only does Tyler take on the vocals, he also handles the acoustic guitar duties and equally impressive is the bass groove set by Tom Hamilton who doesn’t get enough credit. I love the pacing and deliver of every note and Tyler might be giving his finest performance on the whole album. And Whitford’s solo is something to talk about as well as that last note goes on forever adding to the dark tone of the song. Totally brilliant track!

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. The band does dark very well, don’t you think? Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful and Happy Sunday!

“Seasons Of Wither”

blues hearted lady, sleepy was she
love for the devil brought her to me
tears of a thousand drawn to her sin
seasons of wither holdin’ me in
oooh woe is me, I feel so badly for you
oooh woe is me, I feel so sadly for you in time
bound to lose your mind
live on borrowed time
take the wind right out of your sail
fireflies dance in the heat of
hound dogs that bay at the moon
my ship leaves in the midnight
can’t say I’ll be back too soon
they awaken, far far away
heat of my candle show me the way
tears of a thousand drawn to her sin
seasons of wither holdin’ me in

Written by Steven Tyler