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Coffee Break

Coffee Break: "Simple" in the lyrics

Reconstruction of the interior of Henry David Thoreau's cabin in Walden Pond, Massachusetts.
Reconstruction of the interior of Henry David Thoreau's cabin in Walden Pond, Massachusetts.Namlhots [CC BY-SA 2.0]

by Anna Reed

July 12, 2017

Today in 1817, Henry David Thoreau was born - the essayist, poet, philosopher, naturalist, and historian who wrote "Walden", a reflection on simple living in natural surroundings.

Thoreau spent years of his life living in a small one-room cabin in Walden Pond, Massachusetts and believed that "in proportion as (one) simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness."

So for today's 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs do you want to hear that mention simplicity?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs played

The Shins - Simple Song
Air - You Make It Easy
R.E.M. - What If We Give It Away
Jake Bugg - Simple Pleasures
Sly and the Family Stone - Sing a Simple Song
The Dandy Warhols - All The Money or the Simple Life Honey
Van Morrison - Keep it Simple