Weathers

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a picture of a specific, almost cozy kind of inclement weather. It's the kind of day where showers tumble chestnut spikes and nestlings take flight, a scene the cuckoo, and by extension the narrator, finds agreeable. This weather also brings people out, dressed in light, summery attire, dreaming of distant travels. The narrator explicitly aligns with this enjoyment, stating "And so do I" twice in the first stanza, embracing the slightly chaotic, yet burgeoning, natural world. The second stanza introduces a stark contrast, presenting a different kind of weather that the shepherd actively avoids. Here, the beeches drip, the hills are filled with throbbing tides, and streams overflow. This is a more somber, perhaps even oppressive, atmosphere, marked by the steady, repetitive action of the elements and the homeward movement of rooks. Yet, remarkably, the narrator again declares, "And so do I," creating a fascinating tension between their stated preference and the more conventionally bleak imagery. The most striking aspect of the craft is this persistent, almost defiant, alignment with seemingly unpleasant conditions. The narrator doesn't just tolerate this weather; they embrace it with the same enthusiasm as the first, more conventionally appealing scene. This repetition of "And so do I" forces the reader to question the narrator's perspective, suggesting an internal disposition that finds solace or even joy in conditions others might shun. It's a deliberate choice to find beauty in the dripping trees and overflowing rivulets, rather than just the sunny skies. This deliberate embrace of the less picturesque weather is what makes the lyrics resonate. It's not about finding comfort in the storm, but about finding a specific, personal aesthetic within it. The narrator's insistence on liking both the cuckoo's weather and the shepherd's weather suggests a complex inner world, one that finds a unique kind of peace in the natural world's less celebrated moments, making the reader reconsider their own relationship with the elements.