We’ve all been in this situation — in the elevator with a stranger, or when first meeting someone new — the awkwardness in the air is heavier than plutonium, and they turn to you and start talking about….THE WEATHER! Oh, no, no, no — anything but THAT! Unless you happen to be a meteorologist, it’s a desperate, Hail Mary play, that’s maybe good for a few seconds of conversation, and then leads straight back to the dead-end of awkward silence. Luckily, that’s not true for music and lyrics about the weather. There are many great songs about the weather whose music and lyrics have not only lasted for a few seconds, but for decades. Here are some weather tunes and lyrics — or ones that equate weather with emotions — that have enjoyed a downpour of success.
“Only Happy When it Rains” - Garbage
Poor rain. It’s associated a heck of a lot with sadness in song lyrics, and in this dark but catchy tune by Garbage, it equals depression. But the good news — if you can call it that — is that rain makes the depressed person in the lyrics FEEL something, anything — beyond their daily numbness: “I’m only happy when it rains/I’m only happy when it’s complicated/Although I know you can’t appreciate it/I’m only happy when it rains.”
“Mr. Blue Sky” - Electric Light Orchestra
Bright and bouncy, this melody and its lyrics celebrate the joy of seeing blue skies after a long spell of rain. Literally. Attempting to follow-up on the band’s “New World Record” LP, singer Jeff Lynne hunkered down in a Swiss chalet during two weeks of dark, dreary weather, and couldn’t think of a thing to write. Finally, the sun broke through, melted Lynne’s writer’s block, and he was able to write Mr. Blue Sky, which includes these cheery lyrics: “Hey there, Mr. Blue/We’re so pleased to be with you/Look around, see what you do/Everybody smiles at you.”
“Good Day Sunshine” - The Beatles
The Beatles had a knack for writing just about any type of song, including sweet, simple carefree music and lyrics like “Good Day Sunshine.” Paul McCartney wrote the song at John Lennon’s house on a sunny afternoon. Accompanied by a bouncy piano part, some of the tune’s uplifting lyrics are, “I need to laugh/And when the sun is out/I’ve got something I can laugh about/…Good day sunshine.”
‘I Love a Rainy Night” - Eddie Rabbitt
Well, this tune and lyrics by country star Eddie Rabbitt should boost rain’s self-esteem a bit. Not only did it chart at #1, but the lyrics are about the magical show that nature presents with nighttime showers: “I love a rainy night/I love to hear the thunder/Watch the lightning/When it lights up the sky/You know it makes me feel good.” Hopefully, he didn’t sit under a tree while writing those lyrics!
“Summer Breeze” - Seals & Crofts
An oldie but a goodie, this soft-rock ballad’s carefree music and lyrics epitomize the feeling of a perfect summer day: “Summer breeze, makes me feel fine/Blowing through the jasmine in my mind.” A child’s toy piano is played throughout the song, emphasizing the sweet charm of its tune and lyrics.
So next time someone tries to talk to you about the weather, tell them to turn their words into lyrics and sing them, instead. Somehow, when information about the weather is set to music, it makes it much more bearable — and even enjoyable!