Seasons of Wither by Aerosmith

Album: Get Your Wings (1974)

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Lead singer Steven Tyler wrote this song during the Winter of 1973, inspired by the winter landscape around the house he was living in with drummer Joey Kramer in Needham, Massachusetts. Tyler explained in the Aerosmith autobiography Walk This Way: "I used to lie in my bed at dawn, listening to the wind in the bare trees, how lonely and melancholy it sounded. I was pissed off about my taxes and getting mad helps me to write, so one night I went down to the basement where we had a rug on the floor and a couple of boxes for furniture and took a fun Tuinals and a few Seconals and I scooped up this guitar Joey gave me, this Dumpster guitar, and I lit some incense and wrote 'Seasons of Wither.'"

In Bruce Pollock's interview with Steven Tyler, he added some details to the this story. If Tyler thought his tax bill was bad then, it was a real kick in the teeth when he started making big money. His bill for 1976 was $680,000. And that guitar Kramer got from the trash? Tyler says, "It could only take four strings because the neck was bowed. You could shoot arrows with it."
In their early years, Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry didn't think the band should be doing ballads, and he hated was was their biggest hit, "Dream On." This one he didn't mind so much - he says that "Seasons Of Wither" is his favorite of the band's ballads.
Steven Tyler is the only credited songwriter on this track. He also played the acoustic guitar on it.

Comments: 22

Jill From Needham from Rt135Our excellent former Governor of Ma., Gov. Charlie Baker, who grew up in Needham, Ma- like myself, identifies Seasons of Whither as his favorite Song, period. Wonder if He knew Steven? They played "Sweet Emotion" every school day on the Pollard Jr High juke box in the Cafeteria. More Aerosmith trivia.
Girlfromsydney from AustraliaAll wrong. Watch the documentary Look Away. This song is about Steven Tyler grooming his 16yr old girlfriend whom he adopted, so he could take her across state lines legally, where the age of consent was 18. He’s the devil. Gross he’s a p**ophile and we all think it’s acceptable
Spindel From Mendon Mass from RiOne of my favorites by them, my uncle got me into them in the mid 70’s, I’ve always loved them since, my mother is from Milford mass, my father from mendon mass., I was talking with dad last night and I asked him if he knew what they stole when they played back at mendon high, I knew, I wanted to see if he knew, instantly he told me the shirt they stole from the locker room was my mother’s cousins jearsey, I thought that was badass!! 40 years and I never knew that!
Liz Ford from Amarillo, TexasTruly one of my favorites! Not just by Aerosmith, but of all time!
Ray L from Watertown MaMy son thinks it's a song about death. He said this to me when he was about 8 years old. His mother had died a few months earlier. Take it or leave it. The song reminds me of him now
Jeremy from Warren Rhode IslandThe lyrics posted here are WRONG. The CORRECT lyrics are as follows:
Loose-hearted lady, sleepy was she
Love for the devil, brought her to me
Seeds of a thousand, drawn to her sin
Seasons of wither, holdin' me in

These can be seen on page 114 of Steven's book "Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?"
David from ?Still doesn't explain the the lyrics. Particularly the line "love for the devil"? I am a Christian and songs that reference that topic always trouble me. For example, "devil's delight by Heart bothered me until I listened more clearly and did my research. Devil's delight probably refers to her use of coke at the time. Another example is Rush's 2112, my all time favorite album. Some say the symbol on the cover is satanic but I do not agree. If you look closely, the 5 points of the star are actually outside the ring, yes? Knowing what I think I know about Rush, there's no way they sre satanic. Now I use that same logic towards probably the greatest song ever written "Stairway to Heaven". Is there anyone out there that hasn't heard that when you play the song backwards, it reads,(not even going to say it), but what I can't figure out is how those folks claim that Page was evil, practiced satanism or whatever only because he bought a castle occupied by a Satanist, right? The music was written by Page but the lyrics were Plant's. So does anyone think R. Plant is a satanist? Not I.!
So back to "Seasons of Wither" which is my favorite Aerosmith song, what does love for the devil really mean?...david
Bob from Jackson, MichiganSteven Tyler comes off as such a goof most of the time. What folks don't get is , the reason he's treated like rock royalty is his vocals on songs like this and other early tunes. 'Cryin' and other songs of that ilk don't show how good he was.
James from Denver, CoFunny thing about the lyrics - I always thought it was "Seeds of a thousand" (I do not hear "Tears" in either stanza no matter how many times I listen). Neither word inserted there makes sense. Also, always thought it was "Loose-hearted Lady" vs "Blues-hearted Lady" - either works -and finally "Seasons of Wither - old in the end" not "Holding me in".
Randi from Calgary, AbTechnically this song was inspired by a walk that Steven went on as kid, mentioning how haunting it was and dark but he was explaining how contradictory it was because it was when he felt most safe or at home... The inspiration came back again in the winter of 1973 after a bad trip on LSD or something and as he was calming down he dreamt of the walk and within the next day he wrote "Seasons of Wither"... I also beliece he got inspiration from a riff that Joe Perry had been playing as well
Brian from Boston, MaThis is Aerosmiths best song in my opinion
Dane from Green Cove Springs Fla., FlWhat a cool song.I never heard it til I bought Get Your Wings on CD in the late 90's.One of my favorites by them.
Greg Macdonnell from Sufferen, NyThis song is a beautiful,and somwwhat haunting tune. I Love the Boys and this is a great one for sure!
Gregg from Monterey Park, CaThis song reminds me of FOOTPRINTS a veres from the bible. I hope my daughter plays this song when i die!!!! one of my all time greatest song of my life
Mrkitsilano from Vancouver, BcGreat song,it takes me back to my long lost best bud Thenty,We wore this album down to the other side hahaha the good 'ol daze !!
Jimmy from Knox, TnSeasons of Wither and Lord of The Thighs are the BEST songs on GET YOUR WINGS
Sam from Hipsville, CaCraig,GA------i totally agree. this is one of those so, very underrated gems that gets overlooked.
Steven from Land O Lakes, FlThis is the best Aerosmith Ballad!
Craig Lee from Valdosta, GaGreat tune from a very underrated album. "Get Your Wings" is brilliant from start to finish.
Oldpink from New Castle, InFabulous song, and the buildup for the intro is perfect.
Steven's slowly wailing vocals, and Joe's attack on guitar propel this just as it lyrically describes, as would a snowball rolling downhill.
Kelly from Yukon, Okthis is the best song i have ever heard the boys do...and they have done ALOT of great music
Lisa from Sachse, TxActually he wrote this song also because he found an old guitar in a dumpster and the frets were messed up and made the weird minor key sounds and it inspired him also for this song.

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