Sonic Sunday: April Showers, Pt. I

Photo by Marinshe @deviantARTFor the remaining Sonic Sundays in April, I'm going to post rain-themed mixes. That may sound a little gloomy, but there are a LOT of songs about rain, and some of them are actually quite upbeat. (One good example is "Rain" by The Beatles, which won't be featured in this theme since I already posted it once as part of the B-Side Project.) So, enjoy these April Showers, which will probably bring some May Flower mixes!

"April Skies," The Jesus and Mary Chain* - Sun grows cold/Sky gets black/And you broke me up/And now you won't come back/Shaking hand, life is dead/And a broken heart/And a screaming head

"Happy When It Rains," The Jesus and Mary Chain - And we tried so hard/And we looked so good/And we lived our lives in black/But something about you felt like pain/You were my sunny day rain/You were the clouds in the sky/You were the darkest sky

"The Rain Song," Led Zeppelin - These are the seasons of emotion and like the winds they rise and fall/This is the wonder of devotion/I see the torch we all must hold/This is the mystery of the quotient/Upon us all a little rain must fall

"Rain," Patty Griffin - Sometimes a hurt is so deep, deep, deep/You think that you're gonna drown/Sometimes all I can do is weep, weep, weep/With all this rain falling down

"Rain," Bishop Allen - Oh, let the rain fall down and wash this world away/Oh, let the sky be grey/'Cause if its ever gonna get any better/It's gotta get worse for a day

"Right As Rain," Adele - 'Cause when hard work don't pay off and I'm tired/There ain't no room in my bed, as far as I'm concerned/So wipe that dirty smile off, we won't be making up/I've cried my heart out/And now I've had enough of love

"Save It For A Rainy Day," The Jayhawks - Looking like a train wreck/Wearing too much makeup/The burden that you carry is more than one soul could ever bear/Don't look so sad, Marina/There's another part to play/Don't look so sad, Marina/Save it for a rainy day

"Rain In The Summertime," The Alarm - Burnt at the stake, on a bed of fire/My body rises, taking me higher/My love's desire is pure ascension fire/And love is the faith that keeps on burning/I love to feel the rain in the summertime/I love to feel the rain on my face

"Purple Rain," Prince & The Revolution - Honey I know, I know, I know times are changing/It's time we all reach out for something new, that means you too/You say you want a leader/But you can't seem to make up your mind/I think you better close it/And let me guide you to the purple rain

"Dreams," Fleetwood Mac - Thunder only happens when it's raining/Players only love you when they're playing/Women, they will come and they will go/When the rain washes you clean you'll know/You'll know


*"April Skies" isn't technically about rain, but I still thought it was an appropriate song to kick off the mix. Plus, what schmuck is gonna complain about a double shot of The Jesus and Mary Chain?

Comments

Billy said…
Mega-big thumbs up for this list! (Naturally, because we all crave affirmation, I really like it 'cuz I own 90% of these songs already.)

Another one that would have been a good addition: "Only Happy When It Rains" by Garbage. That Shirley Manson's a freak, but she had her moments.
elaine said…
Thanks for the Jesus and Mary Chain. The lead singer has one of the sexiest voices ever. But no Garbage or Blind Melon in the mix? I guess "Only Happy When It Rains" is too metaphorical, and Blind Melon actually sings about "No Rain."

Are there any April songs about "Help me! It's gorgeous outside, but the pollen is about to kill me, so I'm stuck in the house, gazing out the window at all the pretty flowers"? If there were, it would be called "April is a Cruel Month" aka "Being a Southern Girl with Seasonal Allergies Really Blows."
Great list! In fact I think I will throw a bunch of JAMC on the stereo today because I feel like wallowing. And nothing makes me happier than wallowing with the Reid Bros.
Anonymous said…
Well the Jesus and Marychain and the Jayhawks made me think you're not quite a lunatic after all miss B. Nice choices. That Marychain album was there best, too.

I too was astonished to not find Garbage in there with "Only Happy When It Rains" but hey. Also as I'm feeling mellow, I'd probably stick Creedance's "Have You Ever Seen The Rain" in there as well.
Anonymous said…
THEIR best. THEIR. Holy shit on a stick.
Richard said…
The Jesus and Mary Chain and Prince! Awesome list!
BeckEye said…
Everyone's jumping on my shit for not including Garbage, but I said that I'm doing rain mixes for the REMAINING Sundays in April. Jump the gun much, psycho Shirley Manson fans??? ;)
Madam Z said…
Holy thunder and lightning! That was a lot of work, Beckeye. And just let the malcontents' criticism roll off you like water from a duck's back. This is a great list. I sure couldn't have come up with it.

Purple Rain...sigh...
No "The Rain" by Oran Juice Jones? That's on the music player on my blog. As one of my readers (Blamemyrobot) put it, the song is "pure R & B badassery.

Still, great list!
carissajaded said…
Jesus and Mary chain is one of my favorite bands of all time.. Also, another rain song that comes to mind is from High Fidelity, "why does it always rain on me" I'm probably all wrong, but something like that...
Red said…
I freaking love Patty Griffin!
Heff said…
Thanks for postin' some Zepp. Hadn't heard that one in awhile.