WATCH: Fifteen classic songs for a rainy Hong Kong day
The things that come into our heads after a week of rain ...
If there's one thing to get everyone talking in a Hong Kong office, wherever they're from, it's the weather - especially if it's raining cats and dogs, as it has been on and off for much of this week. And once you've collectively exhausted the usual gripes and observations, where does the conversation turn? For our Young Post colleagues it was songs for a rainy day - and in no time they had come up with 15. We thought we'd share them with you - and get you thinking about which tunes you would add.
So here, in no particular order, are 15 songs for a rainy Hong Kong day.
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head - BJ Thomas
BJ Thomas' insanely upbeat Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head is a no-brainer these days. It’s even better if you can sit inside and just sing the song quietly to yourself. (Susan Ramsay)
Monsoon - …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
“Rolling thunder like a voice in my head”, sing Austin’s alt rockers amid a noisy tirade of crashing drums and pianos like a downpour on a metal roof. Epic, thrilling and perfect for a black rainstorm. (Lauren James)
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
This song fits perfectly with the romanticism of a rainy day spent staying cosy indoors just relaxing, taking it easy, and baking treats while the heavens open outside. (Renee Chan)
Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow - Strawberry Alarm Clock
Weird lyrics, wobbly guitars and the unmistakable whiff of hallucinogens. Everything good about sixties psychedelia in one bonkers and joyous track. “There's no place that can be better
When you're up in clouds forever”. (Lauren James)
Riptide - Vance Joy
Folk music and vividly emotional lyrics make the listener feel relaxed and carefree. Ideal for chasing away the blues on a gloomy and overcast day. (Justin Wong)
Silver Lining - Shigeto
Watching the rain fall is like the wispy vocals in Shigeto’s Silver Lining. Calming, serene with some added warmth that feels like snuggling underneath a blanket on a rainy day. (Jocelyn Wong)
Come Clean - Hilary Duff
A classic rainy day song in which Duff laments a past relationship where everything seemed so perfect even when it wasn’t. This song is perfect because it’s about renewal – taking the thunderstorms to just let go of herself and let the rain “wash away her sanity” and let her come out the other side, stronger and better. This is perfect for rainy days where things just seem so wrong, so that there is only one way to go, and that's up. (Jocelyn Wong)
One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend) - Wilco
A heartstring-tugging slow burner from Chicago’s soul-stirring songsmiths, filled with bittersweet pianos and a quickening acoustic melody. One for lazy, wet Sunday mornings while cooking breakfast and contemplating life. (Lauren James)
The Hounds of Winter - Sting
A mellow soft-rock song is broken up by an occasional clap from the drum, kind of like a thunderstorm. (Daniel H)
“Raindrop” Prelude Op. 28, No. 15 - Frederic Chopin
Rainy days call for duvets, hot cocoa and a good book. Some gentle background music sets the mood perfectly, and allows for a cosy snuggle-in to fully enjoy being inside and away from the wet. And what better than Chopin’s “Raindrop” prelude? It’s right there in the title. Beautiful, relaxing and classic. (Ariel Conant)
Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows - Lesley Gore
Just because it’s raining outside doesn’t mean it needs to be dull and depressing inside! This song is bright, upbeat and a definite mood brightener that ensures even the rain can’t keep a smile off your face. (Lucy Christie)
I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
OK, it’s a rainy night and not a rainy day, but this country-tinged hit from 1980 reminds us that rain doesn’t have to mean doom and gloom - it can make for happy times, too. (Sam Gusway)
Singin' in the rain - Gene Kelly
Rainy days can be depressing, but this song – perhaps the most famous ode to precipitation ever written - makes us feel refreshed and happy again with a jazzy melody and sunny lyrics. (Sophie Mak)
Lok Yu Dai – Traditional song
A Cantonese children’s song whose title means “pouring rain”. I grew up listening to this one on rainy days, and the lyrics beautifully describe how water floods the streets on a rainy day. (Young Wang)
Set Fire To The Rain - Adele
Powerful, forceful, a little dark and mining the same raw emotional depths as Rolling in the Deep. Belt it out in the middle of a storm. Bouffant hair and accompanying orchestra recommended. (Tsui-kai Wong)
