“And my car washed away, though that's almost incidental.
I watched it float by like a boat on the tide…”
Wind And Rain
A story of flood, loss and the resilience of a community refusing to be beaten by the storm.
Running time: 4 minutes 38 seconds
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Wind and rain are blocking up the drain,
The High Street river's flowing once again.
The rain is falling heavy, sandbags at the ready,
Not much we can do while the downpour stays steady.
It doesn't seem fair, we've enough water to share,
We'd gladly send it somewhere people care.
To the lands of drought where the sun beats down,
Where it's too hot to move or walk around.
[Chorus]
Oh, wind and rain, won't you let us be?
You've taken our roads and you've swallowed our streets.
We're holding on tight while the storm rolls through,
Praying for sunshine and a clear sky view.
Oh, wind and rain, hear our weary refrain,
Please leave our town and don't come back again.
[Verse 2]
Three weeks now we've not lived in our house,
Not the cat, nor the dog, nor the little pet mouse.
I once dreamed of keeping tanks full of fishes,
Not the whole ground floor past my plates and dishes.
The wind blows sideways, it's crazily mental,
And my car washed away, though that's almost incidental.
I watched it float by like a boat on the tide,
With a tear in my eye that I just couldn't hide.
[Chorus]
Oh, wind and rain, won't you let us be?
You've taken our roads and you've swallowed our streets.
We're holding on tight while the storm rolls through,
Praying for sunshine and a clear sky view.
Oh, wind and rain, hear our weary refrain,
Please leave our town and don't come back again.
[Verse 3]
Now the rescue crews are trying to clear,
Wading through the water without any fear.
Their courage is brilliant, their strength resilient,
For all that they do there is no equivalent.
Nobody knows when we'll all go home,
No gas, no electric, not even a phone.
The weather still rages, it feels like the dark ages,
And nobody knows how many more pages.
[Bridge]
Sometimes it leaves for a week or two,
Then comes back stronger, like we all knew.
We'll rebuild the walls, repair every room,
But the clouds keep gathering, bringing fresh gloom.
How do we know when the work is done,
It won't be back here before another year has gone?
[Final Chorus]
Oh, wind and rain, won't you let us be?
You've taken our roads and you've swallowed our streets.
We're wading through muck, relying on luck,
Trying to find a way back to what was.
Oh, wind and rain, hear our desperate plea,
Bring back our homes and set our town free.
[Outro]
The furniture's ruined, we don't know what we're doing,
Will we ever get back, or will the storms keep brewing?
So if you're listening, wherever you may be,
Think about us, and send a little luck our way.
Behind the Song
Wind and Rain was inspired by the devastating floods that have repeatedly affected communities across Cumbria. Told from the viewpoint of someone caught in the middle of it, the song moves between frustration, humour and helplessness as familiar streets disappear beneath the water and ordinary life is turned upside down.
Alongside the destruction, the song pays tribute to the rescue crews working through the floods and to the resilience of the communities facing them. Beneath the humour lies a more unsettling question: once the water recedes and everything has been rebuilt, how can anyone know it won't simply happen again?
Browse the Collection
The Original Poem
Wind and Rain
Wind and rain blocking up the drain
The High Street river is flowing again
The rain is so heavy, sand bags at the ready
Not much we can do whilst the rain remains steady
It doesn’t seem fair, we’ve enough water to share
We’re willing to send it to the people that care
To the countries with drought too hot to go out
Where it’s too hot to move or to even stand about
Three weeks now we’ve not lived in our house
Not the cat nor the dog or the little pet mouse
I know I had wishes to keep tanks of fishes
But not the whole ground floor past my plates and my dishes
The winds horizontal, it’s frustratingly mental
And my car’s washed away which is just incidental
I watched it just float, went past like a boat
It bought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat
Now the forces are here they’re trying to clear
They’re wading around saving folks, with no fear
Their bravery is brilliant, they seem so resilient
Their tireless working there is no equivalent
Nobody knows when we can go home
There’s no gas or electric not even a phone
It could still be ages the weather still rages
It’s like we’re going back into the dark ages
Sometimes it might go for just one week or so
But returns with a vengeance as we all sadly know
So now we’ll just wait, for an undefined date
To return to our homes but it might be too late
The furniture’s ruined we don’t know what we’re doing
Will we ever get back or will the storms just keep brewing
And when we finish the repairs when we finally get there
How do we know it won’t come back next year
Right now our lives suck, as we wade through the muck
So please think about us and send us your luck