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There isn’t much that can compare to that warm, cozy feeling of staying in bed, snuggled under a blanket, while the rain pours outside.
If you add a cup of your favorite warm drink and the right playlist, you’re set for a mellow day that qualifies as self-care.
For today’s article, we’ve rounded up some of the best songs about rain you can add to your awesome rainy day playlist.
Quite a number of musicians have been inspired by the rain.
As you’ll see in the tracks below that, when it comes to music, rain isn’t just a metaphor for sorrow or one’s tears. It can also represent things that uplift, cleanse, and give life.
Snuggle deeper into your blanket and check out the songs we’ve rounded up for you.
1. Singin’ in the Rain, Gene Kelly
“I’m singin’ in the rain. Just singin’ in the rain. What a glorious feelin’. I’m happy again.”
Let’s start off with a cheerful song, which is quite different than the gloomy feeling many people have the weather is wet.
In this song, Gene Kelly expresses his joy by happily dancing on the street amidst a strong downpour. The weather cannot dampen his high spirits.
2. Kiss the Rain, Billie Myers
“Kiss the rain, whenever you need me. Kiss the rain, whenever I'm gone too long.”
This song is about longing for a lover that’s not by your side. The rain is a conduit for their feelings.
This song became popular in the 1990s because of the series Dawson’s Creek. For some listeners, it can be nostalgic listening to this track.
3. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, B. J. Thomas
“Raindrops keep falling on my head, but that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turning red. Crying's not for me, 'cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining. Because I'm free. Nothing's worrying me.”
Sometimes you get bogged down by problems and feel like there’s no solution in sight.
This song is a reminder that, although you will encounter difficult times, they don’t last for long. Happiness eventually arrives, and the days become sunny again.
4. Rain on Me, Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande
“It's comin' down on me. Water like misery. It's comin' down on me. I'm ready, rain on me.”
This danceable track is about persevering in the midst of troubles and difficult situations. No one asks to have a hard life, but sometimes that’s what you get.
The important thing to remember is that those challenging times don’t last forever.
5. I’m Only Happy When It Rains, Garbage
“I'm only happy when it rains. I'm only happy when it's complicated. And though I know you can't appreciate it. I'm only happy when it rains.”
Many people equate rainy days with doom and gloom.
However, in this song, Garbage feels happiness not only when there’s a downpour, but also when there’s bad news and challenging situations that normally bring misery to other people.
What about you—are you happy or sad when it rains?
6. Set Fire to the Rain, Adele
“But I set fire to the rain. Watched it pour as I touched your face. Well, it burned while I cried. ‘Cause I heard it screaming out your name. Your name.”
This song is about Adele’s first heartbreak. The person she loved took her to a world she’d never known before.
She had high hopes for the relationship, but it ultimately ended. The rain symbolizes her sorrow.
By setting fire to it, she declares that she’s ready to move on.
7. Rhythm of the Rain, The Cascades
“Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain. Telling me just what a fool I've been. I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain. And let me be alone again.”
This song is about a heartbroken young man who longs to be reunited with the girl he loves. The imagery of rain in this song emphasizes the sorrow the young man feels at their separation.
8. It Will Rain, Bruno Mars
“‘Cause there'll be no sunlight if I lose you, baby. There'll be no clear skies if I lose you, baby. Just like the clouds, my eyes will do the same. If you walk away, every day it'll rain, rain, rain.”
In this song, the narrator is having a difficult time with his relationship. He and his girlfriend are on the verge of a breakup.
The narrator knows that, if the breakup happens, he will be devastated. He expresses his desperation and fear, saying he will certainly be in tears if his partner leaves.
9. Rainy Days and Mondays, Carpenters
“Rainy days and Mondays always get me down.”
This song is about the isolation felt by a young woman. As the song title reveals, she feels it most on Mondays and days when there is rain.
Some assume that the narrator in this song is suffering from depression.
She’s not alone in feeling down during Mondays and rainy days. A lot of people have an aversion to Mondays, considering that it’s the first day of the week and they have to go back to school or work.
Rainy days, meanwhile, can mean having to go outside where it’s cold and wet—another experience most people don’t enjoy.
10. Who’ll Stop the Rain, Creedence Clearwater Revival
“And I wonder. Still, I wonder. Who'll stop the rain?”
This song wonder who can stop the metaphorical deluge of troubles in life and America’s political landscape at the time. The band puts into song the desire of many people at that time: to live in peace.
11. What Have They Done to the Rain, Joan Baez
“What have they done to the rain?”
This is Joan Baez’s cover of Malvina Williams’ song. Right before she performed the song for the first time, Joan Baez declared this track to be “the gentlest protest song I know.”
The song brought attention to the issue of above-ground nuclear testing done during the 1960s. These testing activities had far-reaching, negative effects on the environment and humanity in general
Baez was one of the many musicians who protested the testing. Eventually, President Kennedy banned above-ground testing.
12. Georgia Rain, Trisha Yearwood
“The Georgia Rain on the Jasper County clay couldn't wash away what I felt for you that day. Just you and me down an old dirt road. Nothin' in our way except for the Georgia Rain.”
Sometimes, a rainy day can trigger nostalgia.
In this song, the narrator reminisces about her first love and a particularly tender moment witnessed only by the Georgia rain.
13. Rainy Day, Dream Away, Jimi Hendrix
“Rainy day, dream away. Ah, let the sun take a holiday. Flowers bathe an' ah see the children play. Lay back and groove on a rainy day.”
How would you describe a rainy day? Do you appreciate the chance to snuggle under warm blankets, or resent the wet weather, wishing for the sun to come back soon?
This song captures the imagery and ambiance of a rainy day—at least from the point of view of people who love the rain.
14. Stand in the Rain, Superchick
“So, stand in the rain. Stand your ground. Stand up when it's all crashing down. You stand through the pain. You won't drown. And one day, what's lost can be found. You stand in the rain.”
In this song, rain is a metaphor for challenging times.
The song is about having the perseverance to weather the difficult moments in life. It is a reminder that there is always a calm place amidst the storm.
15. Just the Rain, Lonestar
“I know how bad you want to be here now, when I look up and see those tear drops coming down. I look around and think, ‘What a shame, they think it's just the rain.’.”
Meanwhile, this song is about someone who remembers a loved one who is no longer with them. The rain that falls symbolizes his grief and the pain he feels about the loss.
16. One More Rainy Day, Deep Purple
“Trying to see the sunlight. My heart's crying out loud. I try to see through the clouds on one more rainy day.”
This song emphasizes the gloom and melancholy most people associate with rainy days. In the lyrics, the narrator is so affected by the gloomy weather that he despairs and longs for the return of sunny days.
17. Between the Raindrops, Lifehouse ft. Natasha Bedingfield
“I'll be here every step, walking between the raindrops with you.”
This song describes a person’s commitment to stay in a relationship no matter how difficult it gets. The raindrops are a metaphor for the challenges the couple faces, emphasizing their refusal to give in to the pressure to break up.
This song talks about being there to support each other and refusing to give in when things get hard.
18. Let It Rain, Mark Chesnutt
“Let your love pour down all around. Let it fill my heart, let it flood this house. Let the world outside, just wash on by. We'll just lay right here and hold on tight. Let it rain.”
This is a classic song from the 1990s about two people who vow to fill each other’s lives with their love. As long as they are together, they are not bothered by problems or anything else going on in the world outside.
19. Coming Clean, Hilary Duff
“Let the rain fall down and wake my dreams. Let it wash away my sanity. ‘Cause I want to feel the thunder. I wanna scream. Let the rain fall down. I'm coming clean.”
Rain is also associated with washing away things that no longer work in your life. In this song, the narrator chooses to be truthful and “come clean” to the person she cares about.
The song is about finally choosing to walk away from a lie and being true to yourself.
20. Rains Came, Shelby Lynne
“Ain't no accounting for the weather, but rainstorms make me feel better. The dark side of me seems to like how it feels when it's pouring.”
This upbeat song belies the heavy, dark message of the lyrics. Similar to Garbage’s I’m Only Happy When It Rains, the narrator tells us that she feels better when there’s a downpour.
21. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Bob Dylan
“It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.”
In the 1960s, when Bob Dylan released this song, the socio-political landscape was filled with tension. Most of Bob Dylan’s songs dealt with the issues of the time, such as war overseas and the possibility of a nuclear crisis.
In this song, the “hard rain” being referred to is from a nuclear fallout. The song warns of a coming tragedy. In Dylan’s own words, “It’s all one long funeral song.”
22. Flowers in the Rain, The Move
“I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain. Feel the power of the rain. Making the garden grow.”
This cheerful pop song has a heavier, deeper meaning. Also written in the 1960s, it carries a message of peace and unity. It encourages listeners to embrace love instead of conflict.
The song’s message is as relevant today as it was six decades ago.
23. Paris in the Rain, Lauv
“‘Cause anywhere, babe, is like Paris in the rain when I'm with you.”
This song is a tribute to romance. It is about feeling blissful when spending time with a loved one. It is set on a romantic day in Paris, where it is raining.
A rainy day can set the ambiance for a romantic date. Check out some rainy date ideas to make the occasion more memorable.
24. Rainy Dayz, Mary J Blige ft. Ja Rule
“It's just those rainy days. Spend a lifetime tryna wash away. Until the sun come out and shines again, smile for me. Smile for me.”
Here’s a song that highlights our journey through life. There may be experiences we want to forget or wash away. And we are all waiting for the sun to shine again. But seeing the positive side of things makes those difficult times more bearable.
25. Out of the Rain, Etta James
“Out of the rain, under the shelter. I've been so long where the sun don't shine. Standing at the cross-roads, could have went either way. But now I've found you and the storm is behind.”
This song is about the transformative and redemptive power of love. In it, the narrator finds a lifeline in a person who makes terrible experiences more tolerable.
This person becomes her shelter in the storm.
26. I Made It Through the Rain, Barry Manilow
“I made it through the rain. I kept my world protected. I made it through the rain. I kept my point of view. I made it through the rain. And found myself respected by the others who got rained on, too, and made it through.”
Life sometimes tests our resolve to see if we are true to our principles. This song is about having the strength to move forward despite overwhelming obstacles.
It is about coming out of challenges stronger, wiser, and more respected by those who have underwent similar experiences.
27. Bring on the Rain, Jo Dee Messina ft. Tim McGraw
“Tomorrow's another day and I'm thirsty anyway. So, bring on the rain.”
This song is about the willingness to face challenges head on. It’s about accepting that some things will be difficult, but being committed to moving forward and doing your best to overcome those difficulties.
28. Downpour, Backstreet Boys
“I, I wanna feel the rain again. I, I wanna feel the water on my skin. And let it all just wash away in a downpour.”
In this song, a person is in the grips of extreme loneliness. The rain is seen as a healing force that can restore their ability to feel.
29. Every Storm Runs Out of Rain, Gary Allan
“Every storm runs, runs out of rain. Just like every dark night turns into day. Every heartache will fade away. Just like every storm runs, runs out of rain.”
This song carries a message of hope.
It’s about looking on the bright side of every difficult situation. It is a wonderful reminder that things have a way of turning out OK eventually.
30. It Might as Well Rain Until September, Carole King
“It might as well rain until September. I don't need sunny skies for things I have to do. ‘Cause I stay home the whole day long and think of you. As far as I'm concerned, each day's a rainy day. So, it might as well rain until September.”
Have you ever felt a lack of inspiration when the person you love is far away?
This song is about that feeling of longing and melancholy because the one you love isn’t by your side.
As Carole King said, every day might as well be a rainy day.
31. Midnight Rain, Taylor Swift
“He was sunshine, I was midnight rain. He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain.”
This song is about two people whose personalities are totally opposite of each other, resulting in their separation. The narrator compares herself to a midnight rain, while her former lover is sunshine.
32. Don’t Rain on My Parade, Barbra Streisand
“Don't tell me not to fly. I've simply got to. If someone takes a spill, it's me and not you. Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade?!”
This song is a take on the expression “rain on your parade.” In it, a woman stands up for herself and questions other people’s intentions to stop her from reaching her full potential.
33. It’s Raining Again, Supertramp
“Oh, it's raining again. Oh no, my love's at an end. Oh no, it's raining again. And you know it's hard to pretend.”
Here’s another song where the rain serves as a metaphor for sadness. This song is about a relationship on the verge of breakup. The narrator things that breakups are like rainy days. Only time will heal the pain and make the sun shine again.
34. Rusted From the Rain, Billy Talent
“I stumble through the wreckage, rusted from the rain. There's nothing left to salvage, no one left to blame. Among the broken mirrors, I don't look the same. I'm rusted from the rain.”
According to the group, this song is about marital breakdown. The rain is a symbol of the toxic nature of a married couple’s relationship.
In the song, the person emerging from the broken marriage is no longer the same, having gone through a harrowing and traumatic experience.
35. When It Rains, Gretchen Wilson
“When it rains I pour a couple more rounds. ‘Til the hurtin' and the heartache start to drown.”
As mentioned earlier, the rain can sometimes trigger nostalgia. However, a walk down memory lane isn’t always a happy experience.
In this song, rain triggers painful memories, so the narrator pours herself a strong drink to make her forget her heartache and loneliness.
Final Thoughts on Songs About Rain
The weather often has a major impact on our moods, but how we are affected by rain depends on our perspective.
Some view a rainy day as putting a damper on their plans, while others rejoice at the gentle reprieve a rainstorm brings to their life.
Whichever side you’re on, we hope you enjoyed today’s collection of songs about rain and found a couple of favorites to add to your rainy weather playlist.
If you’re looking for more collections of songs for specific topics, you might want to check out the following posts:
- 31 Best Gratitude & Thank You Songs
- 35 Best Songs About Unrequited Love
- 61 Powerful Songs That Make You Cry
- 43 Best Songs About Happiness and Good Times
- 25 Best Songs About Dealing with Strong Emotions
