Stormy Weather

(Stormy Weather starring Lena Horne, Bill Robinson,
and Cab Calloway, 1943)

We’re back, safe and sound.

Rhode Island was one of the states on the eastern seaboard hit by the drenching rain and powerful winds of Hurricane Irene this weekend. Like more than 300,000 other households in the state, our home lost all power on Sunday morning.

With no electricity and therefore no connections to the internet, we turned to a more primitive source of amusement.

Today’s love poem is a famous song of loss. My favorite version is performed by the radiant Lena Horne (1917-2010).

STORMY WEATHER

Don’t know why
There’s no sun up in the sky.
Stormy weather,
Since my man and I ain’t together,
Keeps raining all the time.

Life is bare,
Gloom and mis’ry everywhere.
Stormy weather,
Just can’t get my poor self together.
It’s raining all the time.

When he went away,
The blues walked in and met me.
If he stays away,
Old rocking chair will get me.
All I do is pray
The Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more.

Can’t go on,
Everything I had is gone.
Stormy weather,
Since my man and I ain’t together.
It’s raining all the time

I walk around,
Heavy-hearted and sad.
Night comes around
And I’m still feeling bad.

Rain’s pouring down,
Blinding every hope I had.
This pitter ’n’ patter,
N’ beatin’ ’n’ spatterin’ drives me mad.

Love, love, love,
This misery’s just too much for me.

Can’t go on,
Everything I had is gone.
Stormy weather,
Since my man and I ain’t together.
It’s raining all the time.

~ Composed in 1933 by Ted Koehler (lyrics) and Harold Arlen (music)