Folklore: Songs That Bring Rain

Subject: Folklore: Songs That Bring Rain
From: LadyJean
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 02:05 AM

The last verse of "Scotland The Brave" is supposed to bring rain. So is a song called "Johnny Appleseed". I wondered if there were any others supposed to affect the weather.

A friend and I sang "Johnny Appleseed" yesterday and today we had some much needed rain. So it just may work.

Subject: ADD: Rainmaker (Rowan/Nicholson)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 02:28 AM

Maybe it won't bring rain, but it's a good opportunity for me to post Peter Rowan's "Rainmaker."

RAINMAKER
(P.Rowan/G.Nicholson)

When you try to make your livin' makin' rain
You got to put on a real good show, tell the people anything
You got to get the Lord's attention any old way you can
Maybe He'll show a little mercy and start cryin' for the land

Rainmaker, rainmaker the land is parched and dry
Rainmaker, rainmaker make the rain fall from the sky
Rainmaker, rainmaker the crops are gonna die
Rainmaker, rainmaker make the heavens cry

Well, some say I work miracles, some say I'm just insane
Many a time I bet my life that I could make it rain
One time I had a whole town beatin' drums
And singin' through the night
We watched the morning sun come up and not a raincloud in sight

I knew if I didn't make some weather and see them storm clouds gather
I'd be run out of town when the sun went down
Covered up in tar and feathers
I was on my knees and I raised my hands to the Heavens high
I felt the rain like a sigh of relief come pourin' from the sky

Rainmaker, rainmaker the land is parched and dry
Rainmaker, rainmaker make the rain fall from the sky
Rainmaker, rainmaker the crops are gonna die
Rainmaker, rainmaker make the Heavens' cry

Let the cool rain fall on down
Let the cool rain fall on down

Sometimes I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse
Too little rain is not enough and too much just makes things worse
Well, the good Lord promised me a miracle in this life
With only one condition
He said, "Take your money get out of town
Don't try and start another religion", oh, oh

Rainmaker, rainmaker the land is parched and dry
Rainmaker, rainmaker make the rain fall from the sky
Rainmaker, rainmaker the crops are gonna die
Rainmaker, rainmaker make the heavens cry

Rainmaker
Rainmaker
Rainmaker
Let the cool rain fall on down



---

written by NICHOLSON/ROWAN

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics source: http://www.allmusic.com/song/rainmaker-mt0011252103/lyrics (corrected)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX8MoqRUdSk

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs That Bring Rain
From: Megan L
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 02:29 AM

I remember a lot of years ago we were part of a small group of folk from various christian faiths who used to meet in a house with a conservatory with a corrugated plastic roof. Every time we sang the old hymn "there shall be showers of blessings" the skies would open giving us a snare drum accompaniment that was often so loud we would have to stop singing till the shower passed.

To this day I can't decide if the guid man thought each time we sang it was a request,(honestly the last thing we needed was more rain) or was our singing so bad that he was trying to drown it out. Mind you it might just have meant the guid man was a bodhran player.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs That Bring Rain
From: GUEST,Fred McCormick
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 06:15 AM

I know one geezer whose singing invariably makes it rain.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Songs That Bring Rain
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Sep 15 - 08:48 PM

When I was in Australia in the 1870's I picked up an Aussie phrase book and came across an imprecation, so I opened the window and shouted out "Send 'er down, Huey!" and what do you know...

Jon Bartlett