143 Songs About Rain

Rain can be nourishing, soothing, and its soft sounds make for terrific sleeping. But for some people, rain represents sadness and is a metaphor for life's hardships. If you're one of those rain complainers, perhaps you need a little bit of perspective.

Whereas on Earth we have rain made of water—okay, sometimes dirty polluted water—other planets have far more bizarre weather. Venus' rain bathes the planet in showers of sulfuric acid, a highly corrosive mineral acid. (Who's complaining now?) And on the largest moon of Saturn, called Titan, there are rain showers of methane, which is highly flammable and explosive.

Scientists believe that on Saturn and Neptune large hailstones of methane fall and are eventually converted into diamonds. These diamond rainstorms may seem luxurious, but imagine getting pelted by a large diamond raindrops. Ouch.

Still complaining about rain on Earth? On HD 189733b, a planet that is 63 light years from our own solar system, it rains glass sideways at a mind bending speed of almost 4,500 miles per hour.

So next time it rains too much here on Earth, just remember it's all about perspective. You could have it way worse.

Now that you appreciate the rain more, why not create a custom playlist of songs on the topic? Celebrate the symbolism of rain and all the emotions that it evokes, from sadness to triumph. We've got a long list of pop, rock and country songs to choose from.

In this 2011 song, the narrator is pulling a major guilt trip just in case his girlfriend ever considers leaving him. He forecasts some mighty dark days ahead if that should happen: no sunlight, no clear skies, just clouds and rain. (Bruno, you're stronger than that!)

He reminds his lover of all the sacrifices he's making to be with her and says a break up would require heavy medication. Okay, does this sound healthy to you?

The narrator in this 1984 song sees bad times resurfacing and seeks to face it with her partner together as a couple, head-on. Rather than keeping secrets from one another, she wants to talk honestly, deeply and openly.

A former girlfriend got married today, and the guy in this 2003 song is an emotional wreck. He's driving around town and it seems like the only songs that are on the radio are songs about rain. It just adds to his regret about letting her go. When it rains, it pours.

The lyrics of this 2003 country song are pure poetry. In addition to referring to his sweetheart's love as "my kind of rain," which you can imagine as purifying, life-affirming and as something he needs, the narrator describes her as follows:

She's the sun set shadows
She's like Rembrandt's light
She's the history that's made at night
She's my lost companion
She's my dreaming tree
Together in this brief eternity
Summer days, winter snows
She's all things to behold.

Now that is how to love a woman.

With her powerhouse vocals and semi-autobiographical lyrics, Adele recounts love gone wrong in this 2011 hit. The woman in the song describes being at a weak point in her life and falling in love with someone she thought was both strong and good for her.

Unfortunately, he played manipulative games and offered empty promises, bringing her tears and pain. She gained control and distance from him ("set fire to the rain") even though it seared her soul.

The lady in this 1995 song must be a real joy to know because even she admits that she's only happy when it rains, when it's complicated, and when there's bad news. Sad news makes her feel good, as do sad songs, and she smiles only in the dark.

Yep, she's a complainer alright, a real Debbie Downer, if you like that sort of thing. This gal is a real friend magnet who probably crashes funerals for fun.

The song was intended as a parody of the anxious, self-absorbed songs of the 1990s. The genre tended to dwell on one's internal psychological conflicts. In that case, the band nailed it.

The couple in this 1992 power ballad is approaching the end of their relationship. The narrator can feel that there's been a change in the way his girlfriend feels about him, and he's struggling to hold onto her. Despite his pleas, he also tells himself that "nothin' lasts forever, even cold November rain."

This sentimental 1980 song is a survivor's anthem. It's about a man who is proud to have made it through tough times with his dignity and positive view of himself and the world still intact.

When he was going through the worst period of his life, friends were scarce. However, he found the strength to weather the storm. He faced his fears and became a role model for others going through difficult circumstances.

You've heard of raining cats and dogs, right? This international hit from 1982 reports the unusual case of Mother Nature doing a favor for all the single ladies by deciding to have it start raining men one day:

God bless Mother Nature, she's a single woman too
She took off to Heaven and she did what she had to do.
She taught every angel; she rearranged the sky
So that each and every woman could find her perfect guy.

What's ironic, however, is that the song later became a gay anthem.

In this 2002 song, Mariah Carey describes the desperate and empty feeling of being stranded alone in the rain, and gives others the encouragement they need to make it through. She encourages them to stand on their own, reach for the strength that they may not even realize is there, and rely on their faith. Taking one step at a time, realize that you may stumble but eventually you can stand tall and overcome your challenges.

Those of us who have lost a friend as a teenager can identify with the sorrow and lingering grief in this 2010 song. The narrator recalls being a carefree 17 year-old, hanging out with friends and then learning about the tragic news:

Like a deer in the headlights, I stood frozen in my tracks
And the weight of the news, It nearly broke my back.

Forever changed by the loss of his friend and his carefree youth, he still cries.

You've heard the saying, "When it rains, it pours." In this 2000 country song, the narrator doesn't fight it but rather welcomes the challenge because tomorrow is another day.

No one loves a rainy night like the guy in this 1980 classic. He gets all giddy hearing the thunder, watching the lightning and both feeling and tasting the rain.

He says it puts a song in his heart. What he's probably ignoring is the danger of being out in a thunderstorm, but who am I to diss his bliss?

A tender, rain-soaked memory from a woman's teenage years is the focus of this 2005 country song. The sweet memory involved her boyfriend and laying out under the stars when a sudden downpour occurred.

Years later, she's back in her hometown and the memory comes rushing back to her. Although they've both moved on, she says not even the Georgia rain can wash away the way she loves him to this day.

The guy in this 2008 song is a real ray of sunshine. He explains that "the sun may brighten your day, but if I had my way I'd take the rain" because if you "start out depressed then everything comes as a pleasant surprise."

He doesn't mind being lonely and crying, and prefers not to even try. It sounds like someone needs to ask his doctor to double his dose of Prozac.

What is it about rain that gets people feeling so depressed? Rain is nourishing for the earth and it's great sleeping weather.

However, the woman in this 1971 song doesn't see it that way. She's bored, lonely, and has feelings of hopelessness. Explaining that "rainy days and Mondays always get me down," she seeks comfort from the one who loves her.

This song's lyrics refer to changing times and address an ex-lover and friend the narrator cares for deeply. But people have been trying to figure out the meaning behind the 1984 chart-topper for years.

Some say it's about the coming end of the world, as The Purple One was very interested in the apocalypse. Others believe that purple rain is a metaphor for spiritual euphoria. The song is one of Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.

This romantic country song from 2002 describes a man who feels worn and weathered by the hardships of his life. To relax and rejuvenate he hopes that Sunday brings rainstorms so that he and his partner can spend the day under the covers getting reacquainted:

Your love is like religion
A cross in Mexico
And your kiss is like the innocence
Of a prayer nailed to a door.
Oh, surrender in much sweeter
When we both let it go.
Let the water wash our bodies clean
And love wash our souls.

The rain serves as a painful reminder to the heartbroken man in this 1962 song that his sweetheart has left him. He realizes that he is a fool to let her get away and now all he can do is weep about it. Better luck next time, fella!

The song is unusual in that it features a musical instrument called a celesta, a large wooden music box similar to a piano.

So many artists have offered up their version of this 1971 song, originally released by Creedence Clearwater Revival. However, Rod Stewart's 2006 version represents a particularly noteworthy effort.

The song is about the calm before the storm. The narrator predicts this will result in a sun shower, an uncommon weather phenomenon in which the sun is shining but it's raining. This is a metaphor for being sad even though everything objectively looks like it's going your way. Ever have that happen to you?