The connection between weather and music
Recently, I received a lovely letter from Walter Buckoski, also known as the Shearwater Swatter.
The point of his pleasant correspondence was to highlight the longstanding connection between music and the weather. He shared a few of his favourite weather-related song titles and I invited you to do the same.
Here’s a small sampling:
Dear Cindy,
I so enjoyed your column in the weekend edition of the Chronicle Herald (May 22) about music and weather. It never occurred to me before of weather and music being so connected.
I am a late 'bloomer' as far as singing goes; I did not attempt to sing on stage until 2013 when I was in my very late 60s. In looking through my songbook, I found one song that I think could qualify for weather-related:
Dark Moon was written by Ned Miller and beautifully sung by Gale Storm. - Marjorie Zwicker, Auburndale
P.S. Since in my 70s, I am finally trying to learn to play guitar, so perhaps I shall learn to play this song as well as sing it.
I loved Wally's list of weather songs. How about
It's Raining Men performed by The Weather Girls and written by Canadian-born Paul Shaffer.
Barry Fenstermacher, Millerton, N.Y. and (sometimes) Rose Bay, N.S.
From Rhodes Kellegrew of Cole Harbour, N.S.:
Hi Cindy:
I enjoyed your article about the weather song titles. These are not songs, but weatherrelated fiddle tunes I like: The Wind That Shakes the Barley, Snow Deer, Snow Waltz
Snowball Waltz, Snowflake Breakdown, Rainy River Two Step, Sunshine and Flowers,
Rainbow Two Step, Clouds of the Evening, After the Rain.
Finally, this lovely email from Kay Ross,
Today's column brought back memories of growing up in Guyana.
Due to its proximity to the equator, there are only two seasons: rainy and dry.
Most Guyanese live near the coast, where the rainy seasons occur from May to mid-July and mid-November to mid-January. I loved to hear the sound of the rain on the tin roof and the smell of the air after a shower.
I liked many of the songs listed; my favourite weather song is Rainy Night in Georgia by Brook Benton. Although it was first released in 1969, I still like listening to it and imagining the sound and feel of the tropical rain.