A Hazy Shade of Winter - Wikipedia A Hazy Shade of Winter `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' Single by Simon & Garfunkel from the album Bookends B - side `` For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her '' Released October 22, 1966 Format 7 '' single Recorded September 7, 1966 Columbia Studio A ( New York City ) Genre Folk rock Length 2 : 17 Label Columbia Songwriter ( s ) Paul Simon Producer ( s ) Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Johnston Simon & Garfunkel singles chronology `` The Dangling Conversation '' ( 1966 ) `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' ( 1966 ) `` At the Zoo '' ( 1967 ) `` The Dangling Conversation '' ( 1966 ) `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' ( 1966 ) `` At the Zoo '' ( 1967 ) `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel, released on October 22, 1966, initially as a stand - alone single, but was subsequently included on the duo 's fourth studio album, Bookends ( 1968 ). The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1987, the Bangles recorded a cover version of the song for the Less Than Zero soundtrack ; that version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Contents 1 Background 2 Composition 3 Reception 4 Chart history 4.1 Weekly charts 5 The Bangles version 5.1 Chart history 6 References 7 Sources 8 External links Background The duo recorded `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' during the sessions for Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme ( 1966 ), but the song was not included on an album until 1968 's Bookends. Composition `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' follows a more rock - tinged sound, with a fairly straightforward verse - refrain structure. The song dates back to Simon 's days in England in 1965. The song follows a hopeless poet, with `` manuscripts of unpublished rhyme '', unsure of his achievements in life. The lyrics recall the transition from fall to winter, as suggested by the repetition of the final chorus of the song : I look around, leaves are brown And the sky is a hazy shade of winter Look around, leaves are brown There 's a patch of snow on the ground. Author and disc jockey Pete Fornatale considered the lyrics evocative of, and standing in contrast with, those of John Phillips ' `` California Dreamin ' ''. Reception Decades later, Allmusic critic Richie Unterberger described the song as `` one of ( Simon and Garfunkel 's ) best songs, and certainly one of the toughest and more rock - oriented ''. Chart history Weekly charts Chart ( 1966 ) Peak position New Zealand ( Listener ) 14 UK Singles Chart 30 US Billboard Hot 100 13 The Bangles version `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' Single by the Bangles from the album Less Than Zero Released November 1987 Format 7 '' single 12 '' maxi, CD single Genre Hard rock Length 2 : 46 Label Def Jam Recordings Songwriter ( s ) Paul Simon Producer ( s ) Rick Rubin the Bangles singles chronology `` Following '' ( 1987 ) `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' ( 1987 ) `` In Your Room '' ( 1988 ) `` Following '' ( 1987 ) `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' ( 1987 ) `` In Your Room '' ( 1988 ) Audio sample `` Hazy Shade Of Winter '' file help Music video `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' ( audio ) on YouTube In 1987, the Bangles were approached to record a song for the soundtrack of the film Less Than Zero. They chose to record a cover of `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '', a song they had been performing live since at least as far back as March 1983. Their cover, simply titled `` Hazy Shade of Winter '', was a harder - edged rock song that removed most of the bridge section. The record, like the rest of the soundtrack album, was produced by Rick Rubin. After a fruitful but disappointing experience with the producer of their Different Light album, David Kahne, where they were given little input in the production of the songs, the group decided to take more control for the recording of this song, and they were given an additional producer credit. Michael Steele later commented that `` we sounded the most on this record the way we actually sound live '', and that `` If we had n't been so messed up as a band, it could have been a turning point for us. '' Lead vocals were performed jointly by all four members of the group, with a short solo led by Susanna Hoffs towards the end of the song. This was a rare occurrence in the Bangles songs, as they mostly had just one member singing lead on their songs. Due to pressure from their record label, the Bangles removed the verse from the original song that contained the line `` drinking my vodka and lime ''. According to liner notes on the Soundtrack album, Steve Bartek from the band Oingo Boingo played acoustic guitar on the track. When released as a single in November 1987, `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' became a huge hit, surpassing the popularity of the original version, peaking at # 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, behind Tiffany 's `` Could 've Been '', and also # 11 in the UK. It was also a hit around Europe. The music video for the song showed the band singing in a studio surrounded by television screens on the walls, similar to a scene of the Less Than Zero film. Scenes of the film also appear throughout the video. `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' was not included on any of the band 's studio albums, but later appeared on the band 's first official Greatest Hits in 1990, and on many of the band 's subsequent compilations. The accompanying Greatest Hits video compilation did not include the `` Hazy Shade of Winter '' video, due to complications with the licensing of the movie rights of the Less Than Zero scenes that appear on the video clip. Chart history Weekly charts Chart ( 1987 -- 1988 ) Peak position U.S. Billboard Hot 100 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music / Maxi - Singles Sales 37 Chart ( 1988 ) Peak position UK Singles Chart 11 Ireland Singles Chart 8 New Zealand Singles Chart 14 Canadian Singles Chart Dutch Singles Chart 12 Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 7 German Singles Chart 52 References Jump up ^ Bookends - Simon & Garfunkel > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles at AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2011. Jump up ^ Fornatale 2007, p. 57. ^ Jump up to : Bennighof 2007, p. 40. Jump up ^ Paul Simon. `` A Hazy Shade of Winter ''. paulsimon.com. Retrieved 2013 - 12 - 04. ^ Jump up to : Unterberger, Richie. A Hazy Shade of Winter at AllMusic. Retrieved September 3, 2011. Jump up ^ Fornatale 2007, p. 102. Jump up ^ Flavour of New Zealand, 10 March 1967 Jump up ^ `` Simon And Garfunkel ''. Chart Stats. Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2012. Jump up ^ Alfonso, Barry ( June 1983 ). `` Put Up or Shut Up Category : No Bobbles by These Bangles ''. Record. 2 ( 8 ) : 12. Jump up ^ `` The Bangles : VH1 Behind The Music - Part 3 ''. YouTube. April 7, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2012. Jump up ^ `` UK Official Charts : Bangles ''. Official Charts Company. 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992 ( Illustrated ed. ). St Ives, N.S.W. : Australian Chart Book. p. 26. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between 1983 and 19 June 1988. Sources Bennighof, James ( 2007 ). The Words and Music of Paul Simon. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978 - 0 - 275 - 99163 - 0. Browne, David ( 2012 ). Fire and Rain : The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, James Taylor, CSNY, and the Lost Story Of 1970. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 306 - 82072 - 4. Charlesworth, Chris ( 1997 ). `` Bridge Over Troubled Water ''. The Complete Guide to the Music of Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7119 - 5597 - 4. Ebel, Roswitha ( 2004 ). Paul Simon : seine Musik, sein Leben ( Paul Simon : His Music, His Life ) ( in German ). epubli. ISBN 978 - 3 - 937729 - 00 - 8. Eliot, Marc ( 2010 ). Paul Simon : A Life. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN 978 - 0 - 470 - 43363 - 8. Fornatale, Pete ( 2007 ). Simon and Garfunkel 's Bookends. Rodale. ISBN 978 - 1 - 59486 - 427 - 8. Humphries, Patrick ( 1982 ). Bookends : The Simon and Garfunkel story. Proteus Books. ISBN 978 - 0 - 86276 - 063 - 2. Kingston, Victoria ( 2000 ). Simon & Garfunkel : The Biography. Fromm International. ISBN 978 - 0 - 88064 - 246 - 0. External links Official website Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Simon & Garfunkel Paul Simon Art Garfunkel Studio albums Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. Sounds of Silence Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Bookends Bridge over Troubled Water Live albums The Concert in Central Park Live from New York City, 1967 Old Friends : Live on Stage Live 1969 Compilation albums Simon and Garfunkel 's Greatest Hits Collected Works The Simon and Garfunkel Collection 20 Greatest Hits The Definitive Simon and Garfunkel Old Friends The Best of Simon and Garfunkel Two Can Dream Alone Tales from New York : The Very Best of Simon & Garfunkel The Columbia Studio Recordings ( 1964 -- 1970 ) Tom & Jerry The Essential Simon & Garfunkel The Collection : Simon & Garfunkel Simon & Garfunkel : The Complete Albums Collection Soundtrack albums The Graduate Videos The Concert in Central Park Old Friends : Live on Stage Discographies Simon & Garfunkel Art Garfunkel Paul Simon Other Songs recorded Paul Simon solo albums Paul Simon songs Art Garfunkel solo albums Bridge over Troubled Water ( Paul Desmond album ) Book Category Simon & Garfunkel singles Discography List of songs recorded Sounds of Silence `` The Sound of Silence '' / `` We 've Got a Groovey Thing Goin ' '' `` I Am a Rock '' / `` Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall '' Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme `` Homeward Bound '' / `` Leaves That Are Green '' `` The Dangling Conversation '' / `` The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine '' `` Scarborough Fair / Canticle '' / `` April Come She Will '' Bookends `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' / `` For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her '' `` At the Zoo '' / `` The 59th Street Bridge Song ( Feelin ' Groovy ) '' `` Fakin ' It '' / `` You Do n't Know Where Your Interest Lies '' `` Mrs. Robinson '' / `` Old Friends '' / `` Bookends '' Bridge over Troubled Water `` The Boxer '' / `` Baby Driver '' `` Bridge over Troubled Water '' / `` Keep the Customer Satisfied '' `` Cecilia '' / `` The Only Living Boy in New York '' `` El Cóndor Pasa ( If I Could ) '' / `` Why Do n't You Write Me '' Other singles Hey Schoolgirl Our Song This is my Song Surrender, Please Surrender I 'm Lonesome `` America '' `` My Little Town '' `` Wake Up Little Susie '' Other songs `` Richard Cory '' `` Patterns '' `` A Simple Desultory Philippic ( or How I Was Robert McNamara 'd into Submission ) '' `` 7 O'Clock News / Silent Night '' `` Save the Life of My Child '' `` Overs '' `` Punky 's Dilemma '' `` So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright '' Category The Bangles Susanna Hoffs Vicki Peterson Debbi Peterson Annette Zilinskas Michael Steele Abby Travis Studio albums All Over the Place Different Light Everything Doll Revolution Sweetheart of the Sun EPs Bangles Compilations Greatest Hits The Essential Bangles Ladies and Gentlemen... The Bangles ! Singles `` Getting Out of Hand '' Going Down to Liverpool '' `` Manic Monday '' `` If She Knew What She Wants '' `` Walk Like an Egyptian '' `` Walking Down Your Street '' `` Following '' `` A Hazy Shade of Winter '' `` In Your Room '' `` Eternal Flame '' `` Be with You '' `` I 'll Set You Free '' `` Everything I Wanted '' Videography Greatest Hits Related articles Discography The Runaways Kindred Spirit Continental Drifters Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Hazy_Shade_of_Winter&oldid=863718237 '' Categories : 1967 singles 1987 singles Simon & Garfunkel songs The Bangles songs Songs written by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Rick Rubin Song recordings produced by Bob Johnston Song recordings produced by Paul Simon Song recordings produced by Art Garfunkel Columbia Records singles Def Jam Recordings singles 1967 songs Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from May 2014 Articles with hAudio microformats Audio sample to be checked CS1 German - language sources ( de ) Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Bahasa Indonesia Italiano 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Simple English Edit links This page was last edited on 12 October 2018, at 15 : 23 ( UTC ). 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Question: meaning of the song hazy shade of winter
Answer: the transition from fall to winter