Rain Sucks . . . Or Does It?

by Michael

If you live in the northeast, or northwest, you know specifically what I am talking about. Lately, the weather has been insane and annoyingly unpredictable.  It used to be, if it was going to rain one day, it would be kind of cloudy, and maybe a little colder the day before; it would give you some indication that rain was coming.  Now, all the rules have been thrown out, and it rains whenever the fuck it wants. It comes with no warning and goes with no trace. It’s the ultimate inconvenience.

As much as the rain sucks, though, some pretty amazing songs are written about rain. This is most likely because when it rains, all you can do is sit there and write songs, and all you can think about is the effin’ rain ruining your day. I have decided to present you with some of my favorites, so that maybe rather than complain, you can think of all the good stuff rain has given us.

“No Rain” – Blind Melon

Possibly my favorite song about rain (I like the whole album, so don’t give me crap about that, imaginary readers), maybe because it flat out states Shannon Hoon’s love of the rain, and how he doesn’t care if you think he’s crazy (he kinda was).

“Five Feet High and Rising” – Johnny Cash

I know how much Kate hates songs with counting, but I feel like this upbeat ditty about the family farm being destroyed by a flood would be acceptable to her.

I was super tempted to post this version from Sesame Street, but decided against it.

P.S. Who the crap is Biff, and when was he a muppet?

“A Record Year For Rainfall” and “The Raincoat Song” – The Decemberists

These two songs get a dual mention first because I thought it was cheap to give The Decemberists two separate sections, and second, because they’re sides A and B of a single. I figured the Decemberists were going for a rain motif; I mean they are from Oregon. They know rain pretty damn well.

“Spent on Rainy Days” - Bright Eyes with Britt Daniel

Yes, I admit it, I went through a Bright Eyes phase a couple years back, and will always be able to listen to him without feeling lame. Way back when I heard that he and Britt Daniel (from Spoon) did an EP together, I bought it immediately. This definitely stuck out as my favorite.

“The Levee’s Gonna Break” – Bob Dylan

Gotta love Bob Dylan, even if his voice has gone from warbly and incomprehensible to sounding like he ate cigarette for 400 years.  Even with his so-so voice gone to crap, he still gives a great rockabilly social commentary about Hurricane Katrina.

“It’s Coming Down” – CAKE

Leave it to Cake to write a break-up song about a girl so angry she is willing to storm out in the pouring rain as soon as possible.  Poor John McCrea.

“Box of Rain” – The Grateful Dead

When my father figure heard that I was posting songs about rain,  he looked at me and said “Box of Rain by Grateful Dead. It’s one of their best songs.”  I have to agree, it is a pretty damn good song.

Honorable Mentions:

• “Purple Rain” – Prince.  I watched a Pop Up Video of Prince today, and they didn’t play Purple Rain. I fully understand why.
• “Red Rain” – The White Stripes.  It was pure chance I even noticed this song on my iPod. I thought, “Hmm, I don’t remember this song,” only to realize it’s because it sounds like a mash-up of “I Think I Smell a Rat” and “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground,” so why treat it like its special?
• “Rainy Day” – Guster.  I was ready to put this one on the list, I swear, but it is just such a downer. It is by far the most depressing Guster song.  Of course, the Twilight stills in this video don’t help.
• Rainn Wilson.  He is funny in the scope of The Office (most everything else is kinda terrible).

Thus concludes another edition of “Michael Listens To A Lot Of Weird Music That He Likes To Connect With a Common Theme,” I hope you enjoyed.