Love (Rain) O’er Me…

16 Nov Love (Rain) O’er Me…

Posted on Nov 16, 2011 in Rants + Raves by

It’s that time of year in the Pac Northwest to succumb to nature’s tears…

However, there’s no denying rains importance – and many a musical artist has acknowledged this, some better than others. I’ve started a list (by no means comprehensive) of songs where rain is a prominent feature. Some of these have rain in the title; some do not.

  • Husky Rescue – My World
  • The Blue Nile – Tinseltown in the Rain
  • Prince – Purple Rain
  • Jesus and Mary Chain – Happy When it Rains, Nine Million Rainy Days
  • Eurythmics – Here Comes the Rain Again
  • The Carpenters – Rainy Days and Mondays
  • Nick Cave – Aint Gonna Rain Anymore, Rainy Night in Soho
  • Bryan Ferry (Bob Dylan?) – A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
  • Dusty Springfield – I think It’s Gonna Rain Today
  • Aha – Crying in the Rain
  • Gene Kelly – Singing in the Rain
  • Sunny Day Real Estate – The Rain Song
  • The Beatles – Rain
  • Led Zeppelin – The Rain Song
  • REM – I’ll Take the Rain, South Central Rain
  • Echo and the Bunnymen – Ocean Rain
  • The The – Kingdom of Rain
  • Madness – The Sun and The Rain, Grey Day

PLEASE SHARE YOUR FAVORITE RAIN RELATED SONG(S) BELOW – and maybe include one that rains on your parade…

Gene Brunak

Mr. Brunak (as his students occasionally refer to him) is a high school Journalism/English teacher in Portland, Oregon. He subjects his wife, two kids and dog Duff (how nuclear!) to various forms of popular culture; they've expressed their appreciation by offering all the latest personal electronic devices as "gifts".

16 Comments
  • David
    Posted at 17:40h, 16 November Reply

    Here are a few more scattered showers:

    Red Rain – Peter Gabriel
    It’s Raining! – Quasi
    Dry the Rain – Beta Band
    1,000 Umbrellas – XTC
    Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
    Lord, Let it Rain On Me – Spiritualized
    Raining in My Heart – Flat Duo Jets
    Come Rain Come Shine – Peggy Lee
    Pray for Rain – Massive Attack
    Even in the Rain – Fiery Furnaces
    MacArthur Park – Donna Summer
    Umbrella, ella, ella, ella – Rhiana
    Riders on the Storm – The Doors
    Stormy Weather – Pixies
    Rainfall – Apples in Stereo

    • Gene
      Posted at 18:32h, 16 November Reply

      nice! Lots that I didn’t recall, even some old faves…

  • william olson
    Posted at 19:42h, 16 November Reply

    No Rain – Blind Melon
    Black Sheets of Rain (Bob Mould)
    Fire and Rain – James Taylor
    So, Central Rain – R.E.M.
    Dirty Rain – Ryan Adams
    Shadows in The Rain – Sting
    Tears In Rain – Vangelis (Blade Runner Soundtrack)
    The Coming Rains – Bruce Cockburn
    Prayers for Rain – The Cure
    Box of Rain – The Grateful Dead
    Rain – The Lake Poets
    See The Sky About to Rain – Neil Young
    Red Rain – Peter Gabriel
    Kathy’s Song – Simon and Garfunkel
    Summer Rain – U2
    The Rain Song – Led Zeppelin
    Riders On The Storm – The Doors
    You Love The Thunder – Jackson Browne
    Rainy Day People – Gordon Lightfoot
    Just Like The Rain – Richard Hawley
    Still Raining, Still Dreaming – Jimi Hendrix
    A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
    She’s Thunderstorms – Arctic Monkeys
    Settled Down Like Rain – The Jayhawks
    Great Rain – John Prine
    After The Storm – Mumford And Sons

    • Gene
      Posted at 08:18h, 17 November Reply

      wow! serious list…thanks!

  • Janice
    Posted at 20:14h, 16 November Reply

    No Rain – Blind Melon
    People are Strange?? – The Doors

    • Gene
      Posted at 08:20h, 17 November Reply

      I’ve always had a strange appreciation for the (albeit overplayed) Blind Melon song…People are Strange is brilliant! – seems almost like the Doors wrote it with Portlandia in mind – should be the theme song to the TV show, and maybe they’ll actually deal with rain at some point!

  • Janice
    Posted at 20:16h, 16 November Reply

    Rainbow in the Dark – Dio. Yes!!

    • Gene
      Posted at 08:21h, 17 November Reply

      yes, RJD – my man, may he rest in peace…there’s a man whose life should be a film…

  • sarah
    Posted at 10:08h, 17 November Reply

    “Only Happy When It Rains” by Garbage
    “Why Does It Always Rain On Me?” by Travis
    “No Rain” by Blind Melon
    “Rainy Monday” by Shiny Toy Guns
    “The Rain” by Missy Elliot.

    • Gene
      Posted at 13:16h, 18 November Reply

      I really liked the whole Garbage album, especially that single…will have to check out the Travis tune, as I’m a sucker for Britpop…

  • Bob
    Posted at 13:17h, 17 November Reply

    a quick search through my iTunes library and trying to avoid duplicates…

    The Tempations “I Wish It Would Rain”
    Ann Peebles “I Can’t Stand the Rain”
    Ray Charles “Come Rain or Come Shine”
    The Jayhawks “Settled Down Like Rain” (repeat; love this song)
    Creedence “Have You Ever Seen The Rain”
    Creedence “Who’ll Stop The Rain”
    Patty Griffin “Rain”
    Cracker “Another Song About the Rain”

    • Gene
      Posted at 13:08h, 18 November Reply

      will have to check out the Jayhawks tune…forgot about Cracker…

  • Erin
    Posted at 17:55h, 17 November Reply

    November Rain–GnR

    • Gene
      Posted at 13:09h, 18 November Reply

      totally appropriate as I look out the window at the November drizzle…

  • Cory
    Posted at 12:39h, 18 November Reply

    Hey Gene:

    The Pogues: Rain Street
    Bob Mould: Days of Rain
    Kate Bush (has a new album): Cloudbusting
    They Might be Giants: Pencil Rain
    Deb Talan (ex-PDX, of The Weepies): My Favorite Coat
    Ann Peebles, by way of The Commitments: Can’t Stand the Rain

    And isn’t Stephen Colbert’s Korean nemesis named Rain?

    • Gene
      Posted at 13:11h, 18 November Reply

      The Pogues HAD to have a rain song, thanks for tracking it down…Rain (Colbert’s nemesis) is the K-pop superstar – know this from having Korean in-laws, and Asian students who adore him (can’t say I’ve developed an appreciation, but K-pop’s influence is spreading…

Post A Comment