Weathers

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of two distinct kinds of weather, each eliciting a different response from the narrator. The first stanza describes a specific kind of showery, active weather that the "cuckoo likes" and the narrator embraces. It's a scene of nature in motion: "chestnut spikes" being tumbled by rain, "nestlings fly," and nightingales singing. This weather is associated with pleasant human activity, like people "sit outside at 'The Traveller's Rest'" and "citizens dream of the south and west," mirroring the narrator's own positive feeling. The second stanza shifts to a different, more somber weather that the "shepherd shuns" and the narrator also rejects. This weather is characterized by persistent dripping from trees, overflowing with water, "beeches drip in browns and duns." The imagery becomes heavier, with "hill-hid tides throb, throe on throe" and "meadow rivulets overflow." Even the natural world seems to be in a state of damp, heavy movement, with "rooks in families homeward go," suggesting a retreat from the elements. The core of the lyrics lies in this dualistic portrayal and the narrator's consistent "And so do I" refrain, which acts as a pivot. In the first stanza, it aligns the narrator with the vibrant, active, and pleasant weather. However, in the second, it signifies a shared aversion with the shepherd to the oppressive, overflowing, and perhaps melancholic conditions. This repetition highlights the narrator's subjective experience and their ability to find personal resonance, whether in enjoyment or avoidance, with specific atmospheric states. What makes these lyrics resonate is their precise, almost tactile description of weather and the emotional states they evoke. The contrast between the active, life-affirming first scene and the heavy, overflowing second scene is stark. The narrator's simple, direct pronouncements of agreement – "And so do I" – ground the abstract feeling of weather into a personal, relatable sentiment, suggesting that our internal landscape can be deeply influenced by the external environment.