Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Soaked to the Bone

Coming home from the pool last night, I was caught in the rain. It was a torrential downpour, it was raining cats and dogs, the heavens had opened, it was bucketing, tipping and p***ing down, and any other expressions to denote that it was very very wet.

I lurked in the leisure centre hallway for a few minutes, hoping it might stop, but then I was worried that the nearby canal might break its banks so thought I'd better move on before it flooded and I was stranded.

As I drudged along in the rain, the song ‘The Rain’ by Missy Elliot came on my ipod (I’m not usually a fan of her but I think this must be on some compilation). On hearing this, I wished that I’d had the forethought to compile a rain-related playlist for such an occasion.

So I’m putting one together now and when I get my new ipod which will have plenty of space for such frivolity I will put it together for future use:

  • Rain – The Beatles
  • Dry the Rain – The Beta Band
  • Wash in the Rain – The Bees
  • Happy When It Rains – Jesus and Mary Chain
  • Purple Rain – Stina Nordenstam’s version of the Prince song
  • Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Bob Dylan (even though it doesn’t mention rain in the lyrics)
  • Raintown – Deacon Blue (credibility thrown out of the window now!)
  • Sunshine on a Rainy Day – Zoe (I don’t own this but it reminds me of being 15)
  • Rain or Shine – Five Star (ok, I don’t own this but it fits the theme and Five Star were our band of choice for making up dance routines when I was 10)

It will not feature Travis “Why Does It Always Rain on Me” (too wet even for a rain compilation) or any version of “Its Raining Men” (its not a hen night compilation). Any other suggestions?

By the time I'd trudged home, my trousers were so heavy, that I'm convinced that gave me a better workout than the pool had.

11 comments:

Mellifluous Dark said...

I *cough* really liked Deacon Blue. Oh dear...

There's a-ha's Crying in the Rain, too. And, er, (this isn't helping is it?) erm, Rainy Night in Georgia?

SandDancer said...

I loved Deacon Blue - I played one of their albums on tape so much that it broke and I had to buy another copy.

I don't think I know that Aha song, but I do like Rainy Night in Georgia - the Randy Crawford version anyway - its the sort of thing my dad used to play in the car when I was young.

Carlito86 said...

Raining Again, Moby? Raindrops keep falling on my head! Kiss the rain, rainy dayz... I'm going to make my own playlist, hat a good idea!

SandDancer said...

What is Rainy Dayz? Do you mean Rainy Days and Mondays by the Carpenters? I quite like that.

And I think the Manic Street Preachers did a version of Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head which was pretty good.

The playlist is growing!

Carlito86 said...

Ooh I might go try find the Manics version now. Yes -sorry, I meant that, but I'm doing a spot of skiving at work and my boss walked in and I got distracted!

Roses said...

I got caught too, fortunately it lasted long enough for me to do my shopping at M&S and it merely drizzled as I squelched my way home.

How about:
I cant stand the rain - Labouche
I love a rainy night - Eddie Rabbit
It's raining again - Supertramp
Mandolin rain - Bruce Hornsby

cogidubnus said...

How about Flowers in the rain by the Move (see there's my 60s background?).

Alternatively why stick purely to music...I'm sure you can get a softly spoken Rimbaud commentaire of:-

"Il pleure dans mon coeur. Il pleure dans mon coeur Comme il pleut sur la ville ; Quelle est cette langueur Qui pénètre mon coeur ?", one of the most beautiful pieces of French verse....

SandDancer said...

Roses - I don't know any of your suggestions although I have a feeling that my Miss Elliot song might be a cover of the 'I can't stand the rain' one.

Cogi - How did I forgot that Move song? I love that. First song ever played on Radio 1 apparently (its declined considerably since). Rimbaud is a rather high brow suggestion and I wonder how he would feel being compiled next to Five Star? But a bit of spoken commentary at the start of each compilation I make is a great idea.

cogidubnus said...

So do one about sunrises so we can have:-

"Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,
Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.
J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.
Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps."

I'm not terribly good with French poetry but this truly poignant piece of Victor Hugo, can I recall so clearly from my mid-teens at school...and that, alas, was forty years ago!

Funny how some things just stick in your mind...

cogidubnus said...

"Cough"...sorry, I'm ashamed to say that was just my drunken alter-ego showing off...

thoughts running through my head.... said...

what about Blue Pearl 'naked in the rain'?or theres another one that I dont know the name or artist of.........it goes 'I saw you,and him walking in the rain,you were holding hands and I 'll never be the same' etc etc ooh thats annoying me now!!