3 Folk Songs From the 2000s That Turn One Simple Phrase Into Pure Poetry

Folk songs have a way with words. This genre can take simple ideas and make them explode on the page, bursting with relatability and the human experience. The three folk songs from the 2000s below are indicative of that. They turn simple ideas into something much bigger.

[RELATED: 3 Rock Songs From the 2000s That Still Give Us Chills Today]

“White Winter Hymnal” — Fleet Foxes

“Michael, you would fall and turn the white snow red / As strawberries in summertime,” the final lyrics to this 2000s folk classic read. This song has evolved into a holiday staple, but beneath the seemingly glittering harmonies and merry melody lies a darker meaning. This 2008 release speaks to the loss of childhood innocence. The band relays that message in a way only folk artists can: with deep, visceral poetry.

This song is full of imagery and figurative language. You could just as easily analyze this song on paper in an English class as you could listen and sing along. The verses are relatively simple, repeating the same structure. But within that repetition is a beautiful, rich story.

“Flightless Bird, American Mouth” — Iron & Wine

This late 2000s classic has many interpretations. While many associate it with the Twilight adaptation, it has its own story to tell. “Watching the warm poison rats / Curl through the wide fence cracks… Those fishing lures / Thrown in the cold and clean / Blood of Christ mountain stream,” the visual lyrics read. According to Sam Beam (a.k.a Iron & Wine), the song was meant to represent the political and societal upheaval following 9/11.

While that might not be readily apparent to listeners, it starts to come together once you listen to it with that in mind. But even without knowing the full scope, this song is stunning for its imagery and lulling melody. Listeners can attach their own stories to this tale. The simple lyrics become something universal every time we revisit them.

“Skinny Love” — Bon Iver

This Bon Iver song defined what folk would sound like in the 2010s. Released at the tail end of the 2000s, this widely known track would shake up the genre; moreover, the indie world at large. Though its overplay has perhaps given this song a cheesy sheen, a deep dive into the lyrics can yield renewed appreciation.

“I tell my love to wreck it all / Cut out all the ropes and let me fall,” Justin Vernon sings in this famous track. The story about a strained relationship doomed to fail sparkles under the simplicity of this song. The songwriter doesn’t overcomplicate things, leaving himself with not only a hit but also a charmingly straightforward ballad.

(Photo by Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images)

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