Saturday, May 17, 2008

Rain rain go away….

Another rain song which we all would have learned while in our childhood is the nursery rhyme called “Rain, rain go away…”

The song was written by Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne Baker. Lyric was by Baker and Regney composed the music. The initial recording of the song was done by Bobby Vinton.

Versions and words of this rhyme and history behind is interesting…
History of "Rain rain go away" poem:
The origin of the lyrics to "Rain rain go away" are said to date back to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603), one of the English Tudor monarchs. During this period of English history there was constant rivalry between Spain and England culminating in the launch of the Spanish Armada in 1588. The Spanish Armada consisted of many Spanish galleons and was sent to invade England. The Armada was led by Duke of Medina Sedonia and the the fleet numbered over 130 ships. The English fleet, under Admiral Lord Howard, totalled 34 small Navy vessels and 163 armed merchant ships. But the great Spanish Armada was defeated. Only 65 Spanish galleons and just 10,000 men returned to Spain. The attempt failed, not only because of the swift nature of the smaller English ships but also by the stormy weather which scattered the Armada fleet. Hence the origin of the "Rain rain go away"
Courtsey : http://www.rhymes.org.uk/rain_rain_go_away.htm
And the rhyme is as below…
"Rain, rain go away. Come again another day. Little Johnny wants to play. Rain Rain go away"

Hmm… This is slightly different from the rhyme I’m familiar with. For me it is as simple as the below.

"Rain Rain go away. Come again another day. Little Johnny wants to play. Rain Rain go away."


I found another version too, which quiet lengthy by all standards!
"Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day.
Rain, rain, go away.
Come again some other day.
Little Arthur wants to play,
In the meadow by the hay.
Rain, rain, go to Spain,
Never show your face again.
Rain, rain, pour down,
But not a drop on our town.
Rain on the green grass,
and rain on the tree,
And rain on the housetop,
but not on me.
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again on washing day.
Rain, rain, go to Germany,
And remain there permanently.
Rain, rain, go away,
Come on Martha's wedding day. "

Additional Verses:
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day,
If you don't, I will say,
Rain, rain go away.
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again some other day,
We want to go outside and play,
Come again some other day.
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again some other day,
If you don't, I don't care,
I'll pull down your underwear!

William Wallace Denslow's illustrations for "Rain Rain Go Away", from a 1901 edition of "Mother Goose".

I found another site which has a Flash version...
http://www.iselong.com/online/Flash_Songs_For_Kids/LittleFox/Rain_Rain_Go_Away.swf
No matter what version, this is one of my favorite nursery rhyme… I hope you all enjoy it too!!

Friday, May 11, 2007

Rain Song

Let me tell you about a rain song which touched my soul. I am not sure how to explain it. I wrote a poem in my Bachelor’s degree days about rain in Malayalam- “ Njan mazhayathu karanju kollam… Kathirikkam njanoru idikkum mazhakkumayi” which translates into “I will do my crying in the rain… I will wait for that thunder and rain”.
Later I discovered that there is a song with almost similar verses. I was surprised beyond all counts! Funniest part is that though my poem is not an exact copy of it, it still had all the ingredients. I came to know that it was written in 1962, which more than 15 years before I was even born and I must have written this in 1996-97. More than 30 years. Have I heard this song before I wrote this poem? If so where? Chances of hearing it were minimal. I still don’t know. Then I thought somebody in this whole large world had similar thoughts as mine…

I lost my poem in my growing up phases. It was published in our college magazine… I lost some of my papers in shifting houses. May be it is in that set. I tried to get a copy of that from my old classmates, but not yet successful! May be I will get it one day.

Here I am presenting the Song for all of you. This was originally done by the Everly Brothers (1962). This ballad was penned by Howard Greenfield and Carole King. Also, the Norwegian band a-ha covered "Crying in the Rain" in 1990 for their fourth album, East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Title: Crying In The Rain
Artist: A-ha

I'll never let you see
The way my broken heart is hurting me
I've got my pride and
I know how to hide
All the sorrow and pain
I'll do my crying in the rain

If I wait for cloudy skies
You won't know the rain from the tears in my eyes
You'll never know that I still love you
So though the heartaches remain
I'll do my crying in the rain

Raindrops falling from heaven
Will never wash away my misery
But since we're not together
I'll wait for stormy weather
To hide these tears
I hope you'll never see
Someday when my crying's done
I'm gonna wear a smile and walk in the sun
I may be a fool
But till then, darling, you'll never see me complain

I'll do my crying in the rain
I'll do my crying in the rain
I'll do my crying in the rain
I'll do my crying in the rain

You can check out the video in youtube abd Url is as below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LLC_pzojdw

Friday, February 23, 2007

Smell of Rain...

Scientic Explanation behing the smell of rain....

Being a great fan of rain and the smell it brings, I started searching why it smells so nice... My logical mind wanted to seperate out that reason - As it turns out, the smells people associate with rainstorms can be caused by a number of things.

One of the more pleasant rain smells, the one we often notice in the woods, is actually caused by bacteria! Actinomycetes, a type of filamentous bacteria, grow in soil when conditions are damp and warm. When the soil dries out, the bacteria produces spores in the soil. The wetness and force of rainfall kick these tiny spores up into the air where the moisture after a rain acts as an aerosol (just like an aerosol air freshener). The moist air easily carries the spores to us so we breathe them in. These spores have a distinctive, earthy smell we often associate with rainfall. The bacteria is extremely common and can be found in areas all over the world, which accounts for the universality of this sweet "after-the-rain" smell. Since the bacteria thrives in moist soil but releases the spores once the soil dries out, the smell is most acute after a rain that follows a dry spell, although you'll notice it to some degree after most rainstorms.

Another sort of smell is caused by the acidity of rain. Because of chemicals in the atmosphere, rainwater tends to be somewhat acidic, especially in urban environments. When it comes in contact with organic debris or chemicals on the ground, it can cause some particularly aromatic reactions. It breaks apart soil and releases minerals trapped inside, and it reacts with chemicals, such as gasoline, giving them a stronger smell. These reactions generally produce more unpleasant smells than bacteria spores, which is why the after-the-rain smell isn't always a good one. Like the smell caused by the bacteria spores, the smell of chemical reactions is most noticeable when it rains following a dry spell. This is because once the chemicals on the ground have been diluted by one downpour, they don't have the same reaction with the rainwater.

Another after-the-rain smell comes from volatile oils that plants and trees release. The oil then collects on surfaces such as rocks. The rain reacts with the oil on the rocks and carries it as a gas through the air. This scent is like the bacteria spores in that most people consider it a pleasant, fresh smell. It has even been bottled and sold for its aromatic qualities! So I can recreate the smell of rain when I want it desperately.

These are a few common rain smells, but there are also all sorts of other scents after it rains. There is lots of aromatic material that the moisture and impact of rain can stir up, and the moist atmosphere following a downpour is particularly good at carrying these particles through the air. So, when you talk about the after-the-rain smell with a friend, you may mean one thing while your friend is thinking of something else. You'll both agree, however, that the air has a much stronger aroma to it after a good rain.

Why I love rain???

Hmm... For hundreds of reasons... May be in just one word, for the pleasure it brings me....

I like walking in rain with/ without an umbrella and getting drenched. Whenever it rains, I am tempted to find a reason and go for a walk. Splashing in puddles is a nice bonus in such circumstances. I love watching lightning lance across the sky and creating those wonderful designs. Who can stop loving those big storms with lots of special effects. I am getting excited like a small kid thinking about it.

I don't really love endless days of rain which makes everybody gloomy. I dont like others being gloomy and moreover, it is fun to see sun in between those nice rains. Then I can wish for the dark gray clouds that fill the sky and hide the sun. Then you know that you better get home fast to enjoy that rain sipping a nice cup of hot hot tea..... If you can cuddle and sit, its heaven on earth.... I can sleep the best when it rains....

Have you noticed the smell of wet soil? The summer rains or the first few rains of the rainy season are best for that... Then there are other smells also which rain brings. Once I was in my aunt's place which is very close to a heavily wooded area... It started raining all on a sudden and the aromatic smells the rain brought was so wonderful that I just dint want to leave that place for a few days in the hope that it will rain again. Unfortnately it dint rain again till I left. But the memory of day still remains with me as one of the treasured ones.

I can go on for hours about the rain and the memories it brings.... May be some other day...

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Loves rain

I love rain... No matter how science can explain rain, the child in me wonders about the mysterious drops of water which falls from above and the romantic in me gets all sentimental about it... As a child I used to get drenched in the rain in all given chances inspite of having an umbrella. Hmm... If you ask me again... Ya, I still get drenched... The excitement it brings for me is unspeakable and joy it brings, unexplainable...

Everybody has some feelings about rain - May be love or hate. It has the power to ignite strong feelings and stir quiet a lot of emotions. Everybody has some story which they have stored in the depths of their heart which is associated with rain... I will share mine...