It’s going to rain today. A lot.
My daughter is sleeping in bed next to me, and I am staring out at the cold, gray sky through my bedroom window waiting for it to happen. There are always a few songs I put on as my go-to when it rains — a nice combination of old favorites and relatively new songs (for me) that set my mind to stare at the rain and reflect on everything.
“Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon and Garfunkel
You know those rain sticks they used to sell at the Discovery store back in the early 1990s? Can’t you just visualize playing with one of those in the background while you listen to this song? There is something so comforting about Art Garfunkel’s voice. Always seen as the lesser of the two artists, I have always been a stan for Art. Don’t get me wrong, I love Paul Simon. Graceland is an absolute fucking masterpiece. But he wouldn’t be half as popular without the vocal range of Art Garfunkel.
By the middle of the song, his voice sort of melts into the melody. The choir-like chorus effect evokes the feeling of butter melting in pain. It all kind of spreads out. The strings that come in pair perfectly with the sharp snare sound set in the background of the recording. There is a component to the song that kind of sounds like gospel music, which I love. Religious without being religious? Sign me up.
The instrumentals for the song were performed by the famous Wrecking Crew, known for their “Wall of Sound” production. It comes through here.
This song sounds great on a computer, but best if you have it on vinyl. And I am sure if you don’t have a copy, your parents do. Steal it. Put it on while the rain first starts falling with a hot beverage and look out the window. You will feel things, I promise.
Listen HERE.
“Lullaby” – The Cure
I came into The Cure very late in the game. I think up until about a decade or so ago, the only Cure songs I knew were “Friday, I’m in Love” and “Just Like Heaven.” I’m not ashamed to admit it. Getting into them in the last few years makes me feel a little bit like a poser, but that’s okay. Music shouldn’t be gatekept, which I hate (even when I did it from time to time over the years). I remember listening to this album about eight or nine years ago. I don’t think Spotify was a thing back then, so I must have listened to one of those YouTube playlists that had each song strung together. This is the song that stuck out with me the most.
It’s spooky without being overly dramatic and goth-like Sisters of Mercy (who I do not like – “Lucretia My Reflection” sounds like a goth version of the “Hokey Pokey”). It just gels well when you want to feel a little sad while it’s raining. Maybe you’re thinking about lost love or past mistakes. Maybe it’s just the fact that you have to get the paper while it’s pouring like I do. Either way, it’s one of my favorites.
The best part of the song, and The Cure in general, is the bass playing. The clean, chorus melody and keyboard are the spooky forces of the song, no doubt. But it’s Simon Gallup who drives it through and gives the song bounce and character. As much as I like this song, without the solid bass line that locks into the drumming, it would be like a rejected Clan of Xymox b-side. It’s all about that bass.
Do you know how some people always joke that you could fuck to a movie soundtrack when Prince did the entire Batman album? This is that version for goth/post-punk. You have Simon Gallup to thank for that. Not saying you have to do that but…you have to do that.
Listen HERE.
“Cloudbusting” – Kate Bush
Whose up bustin’ they cloud?
As far as songs to listen to in the rain, this is of course an easy pick and quite low-hanging fruit. But I love it for one reason. There are no cymbals. Not in this song or the entire Hounds of Love album. Kate’s voice is angelic and inspiring, but the syncopating drum part is what makes it. Her voice rolls with it, which was her own stylistic choice when they recorded it. Perfection.
There have been a few times when the end lyrics “Ohh, just saying it could even make it happen/Your son’s coming out” have made me tear up a little bit. Daddy issues? Me? No way.
I love songs that have lore tied to them, and there’s lots of lore tied to this one. That goes double for the music video. There’s an eccentric psychiatrist and philosopher and a machine built to bust clouds of rain. Laboratories and arrests? Sign me up.
I need to listen to more of Kate Bush beyond Hounds of Love. It’s just hard to stop listening to most of it, front to back. This song, though, as the last song on the A side of the vinyl is perfection. Put it on when the rain begins to let up. Kate Bush wanted some ethereal tones, which you will certainly feel when you play it.
Listen HERE.
“Star Witness” – Neko Case
As much as I like the New Pornographers, I like Neko Case as a solo artist much more. Her songs always put me in a somber mood. Not in a bad way, necessarily. But the bass in her voice makes me think of her as a modern-age indie Patsy Cline. I love it.
This song, though, fucks me up. I (sort of) dated a girl (not gonna say what we all called dating back in 2008) a long time ago who loved Neko Case. I remember going to Borders in Virginia Beach to buy this record, listening to it as we drove down the oceanfront and through Shore Drive. I remember passing into the darkness of the trees on that road when this song came on. I never loved her, and she never loved me, but we shared a connection through music.
Neko’s voice in this song reminds me of rain falling. It’s steady and cold when it’s chilly out and warm when the sun is shining. Just try not to think about the subject matter of the song while you put it on.
Listen HERE.
“The Sharp Hint of New Tears” – Dashboard Confessional
Ok, so there’s probably no sense in hiding it: I am an emotional bitch. If I had to think about the genesis of it, I would blame Dashboard Confessional. I had a burned CD of The Swiss Army Romance, and I pretty much made it my personality for a few years alongside The Promise Ring’s Nothing Feels Good.
Are you feeling sad? Listen to this song. Do you want to feel sad? Listen to this song. Feeling good? Don’t listen to this song. Want to catch a vibe while it’s raining? Listen to this song.
This song inspired me to write poetry. Was it good? No. But it did.
I can’t say I care much for anything that Chris did beyond this record. I still listen to it, especially when I am feeling nostalgic and introspective (which is quite often). I am not yearning for that past, but am fond of the memory and (relatively little) pain it left behind. I bought an acoustic guitar when I was seventeen years old. I can’t in full confidence say it was because of Dashboard Confessional…but it was probably due in large part to Dashboard Confessional.
We were all so dumb back then. I was an emotional bitch back then, and I still am now. Just be nice to me, or else I’m gonna take the long way home from work while it’s raining and crank this, ok?
Listen HERE.
Honorable Mention:
“Riders on the Storm” – The Doors
The song starts with rain and thunder. It’s too easy. Even if the song is perfect for it. Most songs by the Doors are good to listen to when it rains. Or when you are doing hard drugs. I only suggest the former. Just let the song build around you when the rain rolls in.
Delusional Thoughts From Fantasy Island 