ANY unwanted conceit that Weather Eye may be, as Oscar Wilde describes it, "falling into careless habits of accuracy", is periodically dispelled by a torpedo on the Letters Page. One such, a week or two ago, rightly pointed out that I could not tell my Tuonela from my Tapiola, when contemplating my Sibelius. Let me, however, risk another reprimand by bringing the meteorological medley up to date. The thesis is "the influence of meteorology on pop".
Meteorlogical metaphor is obviously as a rich a source of inspiration to 20th century song writers as it was over the centuries to poets and composers in the more traditional vein. The golden oldies are easily remembered. Gene Kelly, for instance, has become almost a cliche, as he swirls anticyclonicatly around the lamp post while Singing in the Rain, Burt Bacarach's Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head made an equally indelible impression in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Jimmy Hendrix contributed to the meteorology of rhythm and blues with Still Raining, and Rainy Day Dream Away.
On the brighter side, Gale Garnett won a Grammy Award for We'll Sing in the Sunshine, and Stevie Wonder lightened our lives with Your Are the Sunshine Of My Life, Blame It On The Sun, and Never In Your Sun.
In current performers, the weather frequently evokes a more philosophical and less personal response. Crowded House, for example, advise us "Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you and warm to this theme in another number called Four Seasons in One Day.
The sun shines on the black clouds over the domain;
Even when you're feeling warm
The temperature could drop away,
Like four seasons in one day.
The Oasis Gallaghers draw a moral from the weather signs in Some Might Say, one of their tracks on (What's the Story) Morning Glory?:
Some might say that sunshine follows thunder,
Go and tell it to the man who cannot shine.
"Dark clouds drift away to reveal the sunshine," Space indisputably declare in one of their best known albums. And Garbage, a group with whom all regular readers of Weather Eye are undoubtedly familiar, hark back to the traditional treatment of the weather in romantic melodies.
I'm only happy when it rains I'm only happy when it's complicated Although I know you can't appreciate it I'm only happy when it rains.