Weather Girl – Song and a Chat

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:27 — 21.6MB)

Episode #188: Weather Girl (Song starts at 3:48)

Back in the day, when I wrote this one, there used to be a weather girl on TV after the news. She used to have a stick and point out the highs and the lows on a weather map.

Also back in the day I was getting to know a young lady. It was a little bit of an up and down time. I wasn’t sure quite how a lunch date was going to go, from day to day.

I guess looking back, we just weren’t cut out to be together too easily. I found all the ups and downs and mood changes a handful. So I came up with the idea for a song: a weather girl – with all the highs and the lows.

In August, 1991, when I wrote this one, I was living in New Zealand. Maybe it’s to do with living on a small pacific island, looking back, the subject weather always came up quickly in conversation: “Nice day today..” “Yes, but it’s going to rain later this week” , etc. Perhaps in the old days, with lots of living being done outdoors and near the ocean, one used to have a closer eye once weather.

As a kid, I remember when I stayed with my Dad, the silence required when the news came on…and then even more so when the weather report came on. He used to be a farmer…

Other New Zealanders have written a song about the weather. Neil Finns Weather With You, Dave Dobbyns Outlook For Tuesday are great examples.

As I chat about where the song came from, I relate an account of me cycling into the winter weather …and so on. Yep, weather had quite an effect on us New Zealanders.

Anyway. Weather Girl turned out to be a nice gentle gentle pop song. It was a pleasure to record a version as part of this podcast episode. I think I’ll take it further and produce a finished version of it.

I wrote the words first, as I often did then. These days words and music often comes through at the same time. I’ve started to become quite a handy secretary – it’s part of the songwriting gig: catching the words and the music as they come through together.

It’s like the phrases are instantly recorded in my mind and I’m able to rewind and play the section in my mind as I play and sing along, writing the words and the melody.

The natural rhythms of the syllables of the words really dictate proceedings when it comes to the phrasing of the melody.

And likewise, natural seems to be the key, keeping in the flow, when I let my fingers wander on the keys.

I keep all the theory in mind and just play. It really is like having all the colours at hand and combining them as I paint a picture.

With the words already written, it’s like the picture is half done. Well, there’s plenty of other elements, bass melody, rhythm, etc. but the main thing is there: the feeling.

A bit of background /behind the scenes news: I have 5 albums coming along nicely, presently. Including the first ‘songs from the podcast ‘ album, #1. It’s all coming together well.

I am juggling a lot of other things on a weekly basis: 24 piano students in 2 days, arts markets, seascape painting, producing prints, my blog, and this podcast. I also have a YouTube channel, but I’ve been a bit quiet there lately. More coming soon.

I hope you enjoy this episodes song, ‘Weather Girl’. It’s a warm sounding wee song.

It was fun having a look at how this song came together.

Here we go. I hope you enjoy another song and some relaxed chat.