It’s not always sunny in California! Year after year California tourists and transplant residents act surprised at the state’s seasonal tides. Yes, it snows at the beach as well as in the mountains and sometimes the sun shines when it’s raining. Recent years prove towns are not equipped with infrastructure to deal with mass fires or floods.
During the first and second month of 2023 our local Santa Cruz beaches, mountains, and valleys were devastated by rain and snow storms. This followed the relaxing of concerns with COVID-19 interactions, while local and annual colds and coughs spread quicker than the hail that turned to ice and lasted longer than the mud slides. Three months into storms, residents met with governmental representatives including Congressman Pineta and President Joe Biden. Some residents are still unable to access their homes as privately owned roads were washed out and no aid for repairs to damaged water supplies are available or organized backup resources. Families and local business owner operators are living without answers and told that a third or fourth appeal to FEMA is quite a normal part of the process. For more information and documentation refer to the Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery, and Resilience’s ARCGIS StoryMap.
Many thanks goes to the local establishments for having generators and supplying warm places for people to gather, find out what is going on, communicate with loved ones, contractors, clients, co-workers, and supervisors – as well as – coordinating so many free bands and healthy meals, birthdays, potlucks, pool tournaments, etc. Thanks especially goes to The Red Pearl Chinese food restaurant and the Boulder Creek Pizza and Pub for participating in an opportunity provided by the World Central Kitchen, a not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters to provide meals to local residents. Those few meals we didn’t have to prepare or clean up after were extremely helpful and appreciated. As generators and fuel are needed for refrigerators, and ice for coolers, perishable foods do not last long. Our rental cabin did not have a generator. In the end, we lost nearly $500 worth of food that winter. A small price in comparison.
While not heavy enough to cancel Saturday’s softball doubleheader, we considered September 30th our first rain of Fall 2023. Thus, we’ve officially broken down the spring/summer campsite and slept through a lovely drizzle in our cozy little mountain cabin.
Preparing for the Winter 2024 season, the Stone Family found a new home! While it is just across town, it is deeper into the “WUI” and crosses a creek with 580 acres of hiking trails. As of the end of January 2024 we had much kinder weather and less destruction. Though, one neighbor, not directly known, died.
The beginning of 2025 winter and fire weather has been much kinder and calm. However, Christmas week was disastrous for California. While Santa Cruz had a wide-spread electrical outage due to down wires, we received warnings of flash floods, tsunami’s and hurricanes. Weather was relatively worse down south as San Diego, Los Angeles, Wrightwood, and Victorville were flooded, and towns north near Redding.
In order to endure Life In The WUI, I’ve learned the importance of building a healthy supportive community, and keeping a sense of humor. When the winter weather devastates the earth, may we find the following songs about rain and weather to be inspiring, especially at karaoke nights. This is Californication at its best.
SONGS about RAIN (SPOTIFY)
While I may lose electricity, I never lose my power! All credits to artists and publishers of the below music. When available, the band’s official video is linked below. No copyright infringement is intended and Stone Works Creative takes no credit for this music.
- “A Better Rain” George Strait
- “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” Bob Dylan
- “A Little Rain” Profligate
- “A Little Rain” Southport
- “A Record Year for Rainfall” The Decemberists
- “A Rainy Night in Soho” The Pogues
- “A Year Without Rain” Selena Gomez & the Scene
- “Acid Rain” Lorn
- “Africa” Toto
- “After The Rain” Nelson
- “After The Rain” John Coltrane
- “Alabama Rain” Jim Croce
- “Another Rainy Night” Queensryche
- “Before The Storm” Queensryche
- “Between you and the driving rain” The Miles Apart
- “Black Rain” Ozzy Osbourne
- “Black Rain” Soundgarden
- “Blame It on the Rain” Milli Vanilli
- “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” Willie Nelson
- “Box of Rain” Grateful Dead
- “Bring Down The Rain” Dio
- “Bring on the Rain” Jo Dee Messina
- “Buckets of Rain” Bob Dylan
- “Can You Stop the Rain” Peabo Bryson
- “Candy Rain” Soul For Real
- “Chocolate Rain” Tay Zonday
- “Come In Out Of The Rain” The Storm
- “Come In With the Rain” Taylor Swift
- “Come Some Rainy Day” Wynonna Judd
- “Come Rain Or Come Shine” Ray Charles
- “Crying In the Rain” The Everly Brothers on The Ed Sullivan Show
- “Crying In The Rain” Whitesnake
- “Dancing in the Rain” Ruth Lorenzo
- “Date with the Rain” Eddie Kendricks
- “Didn’t It Rain” Songs: Ohia
- “Didn’t it rain, children” Sister Rosetta Tharpe
- “Don’t Even Mind The Rain” mUmbo
- “Dreams” Fleetwood Mac
- “Dry The Rain” The Beta Band
- “Early Morning Rain” Gordan Lightfoot
- “Escape” (The Piña Colada Song) Rupert Holmes
- “Every Time That It Rains” Garth Brooks
- “Everybody’s Talkin’ (1971 Mix)” Harry Nilsson
- “Fall Like Rain” Eric Clapton
- “Fallin Rain” Calexico
- “Falling Rain Blues” Lonnie Johnson
- “Feel Like Rain” Motion City Soundtrack
- “Feels Like Rain” John Hiatt
- “Fire And Rain” Jack Starr’s Burning Starr
- “Fire and Rain” James Taylor
- “Fire in the Rain” Agent Orange · 1986
- “Fool In The Rain” Led Zeppelin
- “Georgia Rain” Trisha Yearwood
- “Hail, Rain or Sunshine” The Script
- “Handful Of Rain” Savatage
- “Hard Rain Don’t Last” Danny Worley
- “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” Creedence Clearwater Revival
- “Heading For A Storm” Vandenberg
- “Healing Rain” Michael W. Smith
- “Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again” The Fortunes
- “Here Comes the Rain Again” Eurythmics
- “Hurricane” Theory Of A Deadman
- “I Can’t Stand The Rain” Ann Peebles
- “I Can’t Stand the Rain” Tina Turner
- “(I Can’t Stop) The Rain” The Crush
- “I Just Called to Say I Love You” Steve Wonder
- “I Love A Rainy Night” Eddie Rabbit
- “I Made It Through The Rain” Barry Manilow
- “I Sure Can Smell the Rain” Blackhawk
- “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” Bette Midler
- “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” Judy Collins
- “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” Neil Diamond
- “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” Nina Simone
- “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” Norah Jones
- “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” Peter Gabriel
- “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” Randy Newman
- “I Wish I Were the Rain” SHeDAISY
- “I Wish It Would Rain” The Temptations
- “I Wish It Would Rain Down” Phil Collins
- “I’ll Be There for You” The Rembrandts
- “I’m Gon’ Stand!!!” Sweet Honey In the Rock, Performed as part of the opening ceremonies for the Equal Justice Initiative Museum Montgomery, Alabama. April 26, 2018
- “Insanity Rains” Satellite Party
- “Into Each Life some Rain Must Fall” Ella Fitzgerald and the Inkpots
- “Is It Raining At Your House” Brad Paisley
- “Is It Still Raining Outside” Ipanema
- “It Never Rains In Southern California” Albert Hammond
- “It Will Rain” Bruno Mars
- “It’s Raining Again” Supertramp
- “It’s Raining Men” The Weather Girls
- “Jimmie Standing in the Rain” Elvis Costello
- “Kentucky Rain” Elvis Presley
- “Kiss Me in the Rain” Barbara Streisand
- “Kiss the Rain” Billie Myers
- “Laughter in the Rain” Neil Sedaka
- “Let It Rain” David Nail
- “Let It Rain” Eric Clapton
- “Let It Rain” Jason Michael Carroll
- “Let It Rain” Mark Chestnutt
- “Let It Rain” Michael W. Smith
- “Let It Rain” OK Go
- “Let It Rain” Rivals of the Peacemaker
- “Let It Rain” Tilly & The Wall
- “Manchester Rain” Buzzcocks
- “Make It Rain” Colbie Caillat
- “Make It Rain” Ed Sheeran
- ‘‘Make It Rain” Fat Joe feat. Lil Wayne
- “Make It Rain” Sherman Robertson
- “Mandolin Rain” Bruce Hornsby and The Range
- “Metallic Rain” Vangelis
- “Mr. Blue Sky” Electric Light Orchestra
- “Mr. Blue Sky” Weezer
- “Naked In The Rain” The Red Hot Chilli Peppers
- “Never Say Never” Romeo Void
- “Never Seen The Rain” Tones and I
- “No More Rain” Kylie Minogue
- “No Rain” Blind Melon
- “November Rain” Guns N’ Roses · 1992
- “Ocean Rain” Echo and the Bunnymen
- “One More Rainy Day” Deep Purple
- “Only Happy When It Rains” Garbage
- “Only Rain” Bad Religion
- “Out Of The Rain” Etta James
- “Outside The Rain” Stevie Nicks
- “Peace Like a River” Elizabeth Mitchell. Provided to YouTube by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, You Are My Little Bird, ℗ 2006 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, Released: 2006-08-29
- “Please Don’t Stop the Rain” James Morrison
- “Prayers for Rain” The Cure
- “Punk Ass Rain” Josiah Leming
- “Purple Rain” Prince & The Revolution
- “Rain” Breaking Benjamin”
- “Rain” BTS
- “Rain” Creed
- “Rain” Grandson and Jessie Reyez
- “Rain” Madonna
- “Rain” Mika
- “Rain” Patty Griffin
- “Rain” Steve Conte
- “Rain” SWV
- “Rain” Uriah Heep
- “Rain” YoungBoy Never Broke Again
- “Rain” The Beatles · 1966
- “Rain” The Script
- “Rain, After Running Away” My Sister’s Fugazi
- “Rain at the Drive-In” NRBQ
- “Rain Check” The Swellers
- “Rain Dogs” Tom Waits
- “Rain Down” RVIVR
- “Rain Fall Down” The Rolling Stones
- “Rain Falls Down” We The Kings
- “Rain in the Summertime” The Alarm
- “Rain King” The Counting Crows
- “Rain Man” Eminem
- “Rain of the Roof” The Lovin’ Spoonful
- “Rain on Me” Ashanti
- “Rain On Me” Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande
- “Rain On My Parade” Barbara Streisand
- “Rain On Your Parade” Duffy
- “Rain Over Me” Pitbull ft. Marc Anthony
- “Rain, Rain, Go Away” Bobby Vinton
- “Rain Song” Sunny Day Real Estate
- “Rain When I Die” Alice In Chains
- “Rain Wizard” Black Stone Cherry
- “Raindrops” Basement Jaxx
- “Raindrops” Dee Clark
- “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” B.J Thomas
- “Rainfall” The Vines
- “Rainin’ You” Brad Paisley
- “Raining Blood” Slayer
- “Raining In My Heart” Buddy Holly
- “Raining on Prom Night” Cindy Bullen
- “Raining on Sunday” Keith Urban
- “Rainmaker” Harry Nilsson
- “Rainmaker“ Iron Maiden
- “Rainmaker” Last Days Of April
- “Rainman” Mega City Four
- “Rainman” Indian Dream
- “Rains of Castamere” Jackie Evancho
- “Rainy Corners” The Unknown
- “Rainy Day” Shuggie Otis
- “Rainy Day, Dream Away” Jimi Hendrix
- “Rainy Day Man” Bonnie Raitt (1974)
- “Rainy Day Woman” Waylon Jennings
- “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” Bob Dylan
- “Rainy Days And Mondays” The Carpenters
- “Rainy Dayz” Mary J Blige Feat. Ja Rule
- “Rainy Night House” Joni Mitchell
- “Rainy Night in Georgia” Conway Twitty and Sam Moore
- “Rainy Night in Soho” The Pogues
- “Red Rain” Peter Gabriel
- “Red Rain” The White Stripes
- “Remember When It Rained” Josh Groban
- “Rhythm Of The Rain” The Cascades
- “Ridin’ The Storm Out” REO Speedwagon
- “Rockin With the Rhythm of the Rain” The Judds
- “Running In The Rain” Hinder
- “Rusted From the Rain” Billy Talent
- “Save It for a Rainy Day” The Jayhawks (live on KEXP)
- “Save It for a Rainy Day” Stephen Bishop
- “Set Fire to the Rain” Adele
- “Songs About Rain” Gary Allan
- “She Will Be Loved” Maroon 5
- “She’s My Kind Of Rain” Tim McGraw
- “Singin’ In The Rain” Gene Kelly
- “Smoky Mountain Rain” Ronnie Milsap
- “So. Central Rain” R.E.M.
- “Spent On Rainy Days” Bright Eyes / Britt Daniel
- “Standing In The Rain” Billy Talent
- “Standing In The Rain” Husker Du
- “Still Raining, Still Dreaming” Jimi Hendrix
- “Summer Rain” Belinda Carlisle
- “Summer Rain” Johnny Rivers
- “Summer Set Fire to the Rain” Thrice
- “Summer Years” Death Cab for Cutie
- “Sunshine After The Rain” Elkie Brooks
- “Tears In The Rain” Triumph
- “Tears in Rain” Blade Runner – Final scene
- “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” Red Hot Chili Peppers
- “The Rain” Oran “Juice” Jones
- “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” Missy Elliott
- “The Rain Song” The Bangles
- “The Rain Song” Continental Drifters
- “The Rain Song” Led Zeppelin
- “The Rain, The Park and Other Things” The Cowsills
- “The Tide is High” Blondie
- “There’s Something Sexy about the Rain” Kenny Chesney
- “Through the Rain” Mariah Carey
- “Walking in the Rain” Modern Romance
- “When It Rains” Eli Young Band
- “When It Rains” Kid Rock
- “When It Rains” Paramore
- “When it Rains it Pours” Luke Combs
- “When the Rain Begins to Fall” Wisecräcker
- “When the Rain Begins to Fall” (First release by Jermaine Jackson & Pia Zadora
- “Who’ll Stop the Rain” Creedence Clearwater Revival
- “Why does it always rain on me?” Travis
- “Umbrella” Rihanna
SONGS about CLOUDS, FIRE, LIGHTNING, STORMS, and THUNDER.
- “Black Clouds” Papa Roach
- “Eye Of The Storm” Bullet For My Valentine
- “Feels Like Fire” Mika
- “Fire” BTS
- “Fire” Gavin DeGraw
- “Fire” Kasabian
- “Fire” The Pointer Sisters
- “Fire” The Score
- “Fire” Zuchu
- “Girl is on Fire” Alicia Keys (Inferno Mix ft. Nicki Minaj)
- “Give Me Fire” GBH
- “God Of Thunder” KISS
- “I See Fire” Ed Sheeran
- “I See Fire” Jasmine Thompson
- “I See Fire” Boyce Avenue
- “I’m on Fire” ConKi & Mark Wilkinson
- “I’m on Fire” Bruce Springsteen
- “Lightning Strikes” Aerosmith
- “Lightning Strikes Again” Dokken
- “Play With Fire” Sam Tinnesz featuring Yacht Money
- “Play With Fire” The Rolling Stones
- “Riders on the Storm” The Doors
- “Rock You Like A Hurricane” Scorpions
- “Set Yourself On Fire” Ruel
- “Sex on Fire” Kings Of Leon
- “She Is A Fire” Cradle of Filth
- “Soul on Fire” Godsmack
- “The Fire” Bishop Briggs
- “The Thunder Rolls” Garth Brooks
- “Thunder” Imagine Dragons
- “Thunder and Lightning” Thin Lizzy
- “Thunderstruck” AC/DC
- “Universe On Fire” Gloryhammer
- “We Didn’t Start the Fire” Billy Joel
- “We Didn’t Start the Fire” Fall Out Boy
Written and compiled by Colleen Stone.
Colleen Stone is the co-founder of Stone Creative Works and an interdisciplinary cross divisional administrative coordinator managing academic research and publications.