That Ol' Wind

Beginning with the sound of a familiar breeze interrupted only by tickled ivory, Brooks opens the song That Ol’ Wind by introducing us to a caring, single mother; one half of a lost love going through what has now become her daily routine, unaware of how quickly her life will change. But this will be a welcome change–one that is ten years overdue.

As with many of Brooks’s songs, the music is arranged to highlight his voice. A subtle guitar backs his lyrics, as more instruments are introduced. A standard band arrangement leads Brooks into the chorus as he breaks the tone that we have heard in the song so far. In his voice you can hear the plea of a man desperate to hold on to the love he found on one Autumn night. The chorus brings us back to the wind theme, which is also emphasized in the soft sound of the symbols on the drums.

Today this man is performing, though to a smaller audience, and our mother is there. Their love instantly rekindled and they, again, share the night. But, inevitably, morning comes and our lovers are faced with a familiar decision.

Brooks brings us back to the chorus, brilliantly using the structure of the song to bring us back to the very same moment we heard about earlier. The same sense of anxiety that must have existed between the couple is shared by the listener with the use of this mechanism. The presentation of the chorus, lyrically, leads the listener nearly to the point of hopelessness. But this hope is briskly restored as Brooks reveals the man standing next to the woman, together watching his bus pull away. A piano interlude plays as the listener is given the opportunity to imagine the amour, the excitement that is shared between these two lovers.

The song’s epilogue tells us that this couple was meant to be. Each has reason, known and unknown, to be thankful for their reunion. But that is far from the front of their minds as the couple appreciates their properly placed love. A soft wind blows in the background, leading out the song with another piano interlude. The song plays out for over a minute, repeating the familiar music of the song, and eventually fading–not because their love or their life faded, but rather to suggest that this was simply the beginning of a long and happy life together.