Nine songs about rain from Birmingham & West Midlands bands, including Led Zeppelin & The Twang

Published 14th Jul 2023, 14:25 BST

We’ve taken a look at nine songs about rain from Brummie rock stars, bands and pop singers

Birmingham and the West Midlands has always been a major centre for great music.

With the likes of ELO, Ocean Colour Scene, Lady Leshurr, Laura Mvula, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Brum has produced many top artists over the years.

Many artists have used the weather and the rain to express their emotions within lyrics over the years. Some of the most famous lyrics of all time, in fact, feature words about the rain.

It’s amazing just how many songs have been inspired by the rainy weather, including the worldwide hit Purple Rain by Prince.

And with the gloomy weather in Birmingham on Friday (July 14), we’ve decided to take a look at which songs by Birmingham artists feature lyrics about rain. Here are nine popular songs from Brummie rock stars, bands and pop singers which are about the rain:

In Led Zeppelin’s The Rain Song, West Bromwich-born frontman Robert Plant, sings: ‘Upon us all, upon us all, a little rain must fall’. Guitarist Jimmy Page wrote the song in response to George Harrison complaining to Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham that the group were unable to write ballads

1. Led Zeppelin: The Rain Song

In Led Zeppelin’s The Rain Song, West Bromwich-born frontman Robert Plant, sings: ‘Upon us all, upon us all, a little rain must fall’. Guitarist Jimmy Page wrote the song in response to George Harrison complaining to Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham that the group were unable to write ballads Photo: Submitted

The Sabbath song Still Falls the rain includes the lyrics: “Still falls the rain,the veils of darkness shroud the blackened trees, which, contorted by some unseen violence.” It also has the sounds of rain at the start of the track. Ozzy and the band were of course formed in Birmingham, with the lead-singer growing up in Aston

2. Black Sabbath: Still Falls The Rain

The Sabbath song Still Falls the rain includes the lyrics: “Still falls the rain,the veils of darkness shroud the blackened trees, which, contorted by some unseen violence.” It also has the sounds of rain at the start of the track. Ozzy and the band were of course formed in Birmingham, with the lead-singer growing up in Aston

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, from the Birmingham band’s Getting Over the Storm album is about a relationship. In the verses, a man is looking back on a broken relationship, thinking about the moment they parted ways

3. UB40: Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, from the Birmingham band’s Getting Over the Storm album is about a relationship. In the verses, a man is looking back on a broken relationship, thinking about the moment they parted ways Photo: Cuffe and Taylor and The Piece Hall

Hold Back The Rain by Simon Le Bon and co is a song from their second album Rio. The track is said to also be about John Taylor’s drug abuse, as well as keeping bad company. The group formed in Brum in 1978, with members Nick Rhodes, Stephen Duffy and Roger Taylor all from the city

4. Duran Duran: Hold Back The Rain

Hold Back The Rain by Simon Le Bon and co is a song from their second album Rio. The track is said to also be about John Taylor’s drug abuse, as well as keeping bad company. The group formed in Brum in 1978, with members Nick Rhodes, Stephen Duffy and Roger Taylor all from the city

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