Rain music is a topic that appears every now and then on albums. I started playing as a child and learned a couple of rain themed songs to play for some event at school. Since then, I have found it an inspiration for creativity much like snow in the mountains does for others.
So, it’s been raining here, a lot. Two flash floods in our area in one day. Unfortunately, the first one revealed a leak in the basement and the second one tested a fix I made to stop the leak. Today, we got a temporary break allowing me to mow the wet lawn. That was after I worked more on the leak in the basement. Tomorrow, we are expecting another 90% day of rain. I could use a day off from the work the rain is producing.
For today’s post, you might want to check out a YouTube playlist I made to go along with it: Rain Songs. The list follows a history of my own with rain music. Let the music wash over you and inspire you to express yourself on an otherwise melancholy topic.
It’s Raining – Peter, Paul and Mary
I forget why, but I wanted to play this song for school when I was first learning guitar. My father was a big Peter, Paul and Mary fan. The album this comes from got a lot of play in my house. For example, I knew when we were going to the zoo because my father would play “Going to the Zoo” on the stereo. There are so many great songs on this album and this is one.
After you hear the song, you might realize I was a bit ambitious. I definitely was with my expectations of vocals from my classmates! The thing that killed this song for my classmates was the part about the ladybug’s house burning. Somehow, that was deemed too depressing 😉
Just listen to the fingerstyle on that song, though! I just strummed it but in my mind I was picking right along with Peter and Paul.
Rain – The Beatles
The first time I heard this song, I was blown away! I forget if I heard it on the radio first or after I got the Hey Jude album but, Man! That guitar sound was amazing! Because of my older brothers record collection, I was already a bit of a Beatles fan . My meager childhood finances meant my record collection grew very s-l-o-w-l-y. My brother’s collection consisted of the early Beatles albums and Sgt. Pepper. I had to buy Hey Jude, myself. Well, it took some time to save up the money but I got it.
I still love the guitar tone on that song. Melancholy it is not. More of a sarcastic poke at those who seem afraid of the rain. Maybe it was the Beatles nod to “Singing In The Rain” from years before?
Fixing a Hole – The Beatles
Not really rain music but it came to mind as a neighbor passed me while I was working on a potential source of water outside the house. He asked what I was doing and I immediately responded with this song. He responded with the rest of the lyric. My wife finds that a curious thing to do but I can’t help it sometimes. It’s in my blood 🙂
It also helped win a party game. A friend of mine and I were on one team and a bunch of younger folks were on another (we’re older, if you haven’t surmised that). The younger team thought they were going to clean up. Yes, they had musicians on their team. So, the object of the game was to quote lyrics to actual songs that had to do with a particular topic in a set period of time. My friend and I crushed it, to say the least. Being both musicians and music aficionados from our childhoods (60’s) gave us huge libraries to draw from. Quoting lyrics was natural for us!
So, the next time some young people want to try to put you in your place musically, just remember you have experience they do not have. Go forth in confidence!
Rain Music as a Concerto
ELO released Out of The Blue in 1977. Probably most famous for the song “Mr. Blue Sky”. Jeff Lynn, ELO primary song writer, recently reissued a version well worth listening to.
The three songs that open disc 2 of the CD (this was a double album on vinyl) are really a set up for the more popular “Mr. Blue Sky”. The four songs comprise the Concerto For A Rainy Day. The story goes that ELO’s primary songwriter, Jeff Lynn, was in a chalet in the Alps during a drenching downpour. Consequently, he was inspired to write the four songs. Don’t miss the mood as the music progresses toward the blue sky. Also, take note of the 12-string guitar throughout the concerto. It seems to fade in and out at key points just perfectly.
Get inspired in the rain!
Now I’m looking forward to the 90% rain tomorrow! I just hope it doesn’t get interrupted by another leak in the basement. Had enough of that for one week.
Get your guitar out and let the mood of the weather waft over you. Enjoy the rain in a new way. Let me know what your favorite rain music is in the comments or in the Just 2 Play Guitar FaceBook page. I would love to know!