[Filling the Space is a flexible column where our writers could vent, deconstruct, and work their way around the emotions brought on by TV, films, books, music, and key moments in pop culture. This isn’t meant to be analytical, but instead, a way for us to explore our feelings.]
When it comes to music, there are very few ways to truly describe how it can make us feel. More often than not, the lyrics can be too personal and force us to confront things we might not even be able to. Sometimes, even though we’re grown adults, it effortlessly transports us back to childhood. Other times, it’s just…indescribable. Between the melody and the lyrics, it’s pretty obvious why a song like John Williams‘ “Somewhere in My Memory” could turn most of us into blubbering wrecks around the holidays. And then there’s Alan Silvestri’s “Practical Magic” theme.
I don’t remember how old I was when I first watched Practical Magic because I was only seven when it was released and very much a scaredy-cat. So, it’s not a part of my childhood Halloween-themed film rotation like Hocus Pocus or Halloweentown were, but it’s still the fall harmony, and no, I will not hear objections about this.
Autumn isn’t just my favorite season, but I also believe it’s the one season that’s impossible to describe. How is there so much beauty and warmth all around us when the earth is preparing to decay for winter? How could the death of leaves be so magically wondrous and so effortlessly soothing? That’s how the “Practical Magic” theme feels every time I hear it. It’s a little sad, but there’s a shimmering beauty in the melody that slowly takes us on a quietly captivating journey.
When you hear those first few notes, you know what’s coming: crisp autumn leaves dancing with the wind or crunching underneath our shoes, a perfect breeze in the air, the smell of petrichor, cinnamon and spices, cozy sweaters, and shorter days that feel just right. The world feels a little scary and much less heartbreaking in the fall because even when the leaves are swept away, we know we have the holidays to look forward to. The world feels a little more kinder.
The days are brighter, and even while everything gets cooler and the nights stay longer, none of it feels too cold or dreary. And every time the “Practical Magic” theme comes on shuffle, or someone uses it in a reel with their fall-themed photos, it makes my heart squeeze. Maybe there’s something about it that’s also linked to romance novels and the wonders of falling in love. I don’t know. I’ve never been able to find the right words. It’s like it summons us every time the notes start playing in the distance. It’s a calming, tender melody that feels like the perfect blanket by the crackling fire.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Reprise Records