Whether you’re a UK native, or otherwise, this won’t be the first time you’ve heard that it rains a lot here. Sustained summer sunny-spells are few and far between, and while the rain has been known to destroy many a British BBQ, it’s also been known to inspire songwriters around the world, and throughout the decades, to pen some of their greatest creations.
Here are Music Crowns’ top 7 precipitation-themed tracks; old and new.
Tina Turner – ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain’
Originally recorded by Ann Peebles in 1973, ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain’ is an R&B staple. It’s been covered and sampled by endless artists, most notably, Miss Tina Turner. As with any Tina Turner number, her live performance makes it all more extraordinary. Enjoy.
Bob Dylan – ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’
‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ waswritten by Bob Dylan in 1962. Deciphering the meaning behind a Dylan song is always a long-running and cryptic game, but this song is said to have seen the first blossoms of him as a poet, not just a folk-singer. Slightly more profound than a song about the weather, ‘A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall’ is arguably one of the greatest Dylan songs of all time.
Massive Attack – ‘Weather Storm’
Taken from their 1994 album, Protection, ‘Weather Storm’ is a Massive Attack classic. The only instrumental to make the list, ‘Weather Storm’ is simply a beautiful piece of music.
Django Django – ‘Storm’
This Super Furry Animals-style piece of jangly-surfer-rock comes from London band, Django Django. Taken from their knockout self-titled debut album, ‘Storm’ caused exactly that. The video’s pretty nice, too.
Randy Crawford – ‘Rainy Night in Georgia’
‘Rainy Night in Georgia’ has been covered by everyone from Johnny Rivers to Ray Charles, with a few reggae renditions popping up along the way. We’ve chosen this performance by jazz-pop demigod Randy Crawford to make you ‘feel like it’s rainin’ all over the world’.
Travis – ‘Why Does It Always Rain on Me?’
Remember this chirpy little number from Scottish indie-heroes, Travis? According to an interview he did at a Live 8 concert, lead singer Fran Healy wrote the song while on holiday in Israel when, despite being a Mediterranean country, he saw days-upon-days of down-pour. This hardly seems fair when you consider the poor guy had travelled all the way from Glasgow for a bit of sunshine.
Johnny Cash – ‘Five Feet High and Rising’
‘Five Feet High and Rising’ is said to be a recollection of Johnny Cash’s world and experiences as a child growing up on a cotton farm which was prone to flooding during the Great Depression. Cash became word famous through singing his life story and this is no exception. Still one of the most influential artists all time, Cash’s music was renowned themes of sorrow, moral tribulation and redemption, and this rainy-day selection wouldn’t have been complete without him.
Maya Rose Radcliffe
Editor of Music Crowns, Maya, has been working in music since the age of sixteen. She’s written for a series of different publications both in print and online including Clash, DIY, The Line of Best Fit, Spindle, New York-based Impose Magazine and The Playground, which she also used to edit. @mayarrad.
