Favorite Rain Songs
It has rained down on both LSU baseball games this weekend, especially Friday when the game was delayed until Saturday morning and my friend and I had to walk about a mile in a downpour to get back to the truck. At first the thought of getting all wet and cold and having to walk that far aggravated me. I even allowed the fact that I had on my brand new running shoes that cost all of $14 to sneak into my thoughts.
That’s when I reminded myself of a little episode in my life in which I befriended the rain instead of fighting it. And I thought of the mosquito, that bloody little bug, who survives the rain by simply riding a drop down to the ground.
Once again, just as I explored in “Free Rain,” I found that once I let go of the expected or typical attitude toward the rain, it wasn’t as frustrating or cold. The walk back to the truck was actually enjoyable. Like a mosquito, I just rode the drops in.
As a pretty funny jab at the exiting fans, over the LSU sound system played several songs that had to do with rain, including B. J. Thomas’s “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head,” a song that seemed to exacerbate the crowd’s aggravation with one of the best games in LSU baseball history having to be delayed. I actually thought it was funny, despite my petulant thoughts at the time as I left the stadium, and the experience got me to thinking about all the different songs about rain there are. So in honor of the wet weekend in Baton Rouge and in dedication to all the hearts out there feeling the rain of life and love, here is my list of my favorite “rain songs.”
HONORABLE MENTION
Blame it on the Rain Milli Vanilli
- The actual singers were not the good-looking dreadlocked twins seen on the music videos, but instead were overweight middle aged men. Greatest fraud in music history? Maybe. I had to include it in this list because of the fallout that occurred when the truth was exposed.
- Favorite lyric: “Should’ve told her you were sorry, could have said you were wrong. But no you couldn’t do that. No no, you had to prove you were strong .”
Looks Like Rain Grateful Dead
- I discovered this gem while doing research for my post. The playing of the music seems a little clunky at times but appropriate enough, and the lyrics are pure poetry.
- “Did you ever waken to the sound of street cats making love, and guess from their cries you were listening to a fight? Well you know, hate’s just the last thing they’re thinking of. They’re only trying to make it through the night.”
- This is the first of two from Dylan on my list.
- “Life is sad, life is a bust. All you can do is do what you must. You do what you must do and you do it well.”
- This song doesn’t seem to fit into this list because of the style of music, but it’s still decent enough to include.
- “I want to dive into your ocean. Is it raining with you.”
TOP 9
9. Missing Everything But the Girl
- This was actually the song I was thinking of when I found “Here Comes the Rain Again.” I heard “Missing” this morning and decided to add it.
- “I step off the train. I’m walking down your street again and past your door. But you don’t live there any more.”
8. Who’ll Stop the Rain? Creedence Clearwater Revival
- This song needs about another minute more, but it’s the first of two CCR songs on the list.
- “I went down Virginia, Seekin’ shelter from the storm. Caught up in the fable, I watched the tower grow. Five year plans and new deals, wrapped in golden chains. And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain?”
7. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall Bob Dylan
- A powerful song inspired by the heartbreaking ballad “Lord Randall,” a British poem I studied with my freshmen at Savio. We listened to this song in class, and we laughed about how long it was. But it was powerful enough to where several of us, including myself, were hearing it our minds for days.
- “Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? And where have you been my darling young one?”
- “You said you didn’t need me in your life. I guess you were right. Well I never meant to cause you no pain, but it looks like I did it again.”
5. The Thunder Rolls Garth Brooks
- I’m a little more receptive to good country music nowadays, but back when I started liking Garth Brooks in the ’90s, it was an anomaly. It has always frustrated me that the song is so short. Until I did the research, I never realized that there is a third verse not included on the album version because of the lyric’s graphic nature — the jilted woman plans to shoot the man for his infidelity.
- “But on the wind and rain a strange new perfume blows, and the lightning flashes in her eyes, and he knows that she knows.”
- This is one of those songs that can make you cry and smile at the same time, depending on who you’re with and your drink of choice.
- “I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song. I just can’t remember who to send it to.”
3. Have You Ever Seen the Rain? Creedence Clearwater Revival
- I fell in love with this song when I watched the Adam Sandler version of The Longest Yard. I was a little late on the uptake. While “Purple Rain” and “November Rain” are higher on the list because I feel the power of the music more, the number of times I listen to this one is actually higher because it is, despite its melancholy theme, a more upbeat song musically and can be played without me wanting to go sleep away my thoughts for about fourteen hours.
- ”Someone told me long ago there’s a calm before the storm. I know it’s been coming for some time.”
- One of my favorite love songs. It is a shame Prince didn’t produce more slow music like this.
- “Honey, I know, I know, I know times are changing. It’s time we all reach out for something new, that means you too.”
Slash plays one of his two solos in the video of my #1 rain song.
- This is one of my all-time favorite songs, up there with “Black” and “Faithfully,” and the video was MTV’s top video in 1992 and consistently ranked in the top three in several all-90′s video lists. Rose’s wails and Slash’s smooth riffs make this song a classic. It is the only single in U. S. chart history to break into the top ten with a guitar solo over one minute long. The song is referenced twice in the chorus of the song ”On the Radio” by modern singer Regina Spektor.
- “I know it’s hard to keep an open heart when even friends seem out to harm you. But if you could heal the broken heart, wouldn’t time be out to charm you.”
So there you have it, my favorite rain songs. I’m not sure about my friends in Texas, but we Louisianians have been getting a lot of rain lately. Hope you enjoyed the list, and if you want to add any of your favorite rain songs, just comment. Here is an extensive list of rain songs that I simply was not going to go through!
Posted on June 10, 2012, in Art, Non-Fiction and tagged music, songs. Bookmark the permalink. 5 Comments.
I still have Lord Randall in my head, a version of it was in our textbooks again and Jessica found it after the English final. Since you asked, my favorite two rain songs are Washed by the Water by NEEDTOBREATHE and Bring the Rain by Superchick.
Your last hour class was pretty funny with your reaction to “Lord Randall.”
What else would you expect the first time ninth graders hear “fain would lie dune” and then get it stuck in your head? Not to mention the last verse where Lord Randall wishes fire and hell on his true love. On a side note, it was with a sense of envy that I watched the color green cover Louisiana during the weather report. Rain and Texas do not often mix during the summer.
Haha, too funny. Yep, it’s constantly raining in the afternoons here.
After I said that, it rained for about 10 minutes, but still almost nothing.