Dark and Dreary Weather

DESCRIPTION: "It's dark and dreary weather, Almost inclined to rain, My heart is almost broken, My lover has gone on the train!" The singer wonders why she loves him so much, and he loves her not at all. "Some say that love is a pleasure; What pleasure do I see?"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: 1921
KEYWORDS: love courting separation train suicide floatingverses
FOUND IN: US(MW,So)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Randolph 750, "Dark and Dreary Weather" (4 texts, 1 tune)
Brown/Belden/Hudson-FrankCBrownCollectionNCFolklore2 168, "Dreary Weather" (1 text)
Niles/Moore-SongsMyMotherNeverTaughtMe, pp. 135-136, "Some Say That Love Is a Blessing (How Old Fashioned of Them After All" (1 text, 1 tune)
List-SingingAboutIt-FolkSongsInSouthernIndiana, pp. 165-167, "I Don't Know Why I Love Him" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #6527
RECORDINGS:
Carter Family, "Dark and Stormy Weather" (Bluebird B-8868, 1941)
New Lost City Ramblers, "Dark and Stormy Weather" (NLCR14)
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Farewell He" (stanza form, floating lyrics)
cf. "Goodnight Irene" (floating lyrics)
cf. "Farewell Ballymoney (Loving Hannah; Lovely Molly)" (floating lyrics)
cf. "The Boys Won't Do to Trust" (floating lyrics)
ALTERNATE TITLES:
Dark and Stormy Weather
NOTES [107 words]: Many of Randolph's versions consist of more floating lyrics than anything else (including even the "jump into the river and drown" stanza best known from "Goodnight Irene"). The net result reminds me strongly of "Farewell He" -- but there seems to be no actual dependence, though the form of the verses is the same. Roud apparently agrees, since he splits the songs.
Niles/Moore-SongsMyMotherNeverTaughtMe give only a short text, claiming "There are more unprintable verses to this song than any other on record." It is not absolutely clear that it is the same song. But it has all the characteristics of this song, or at least of this type. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.3
File: R750

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography