"Like the Weather" was the second single released from 10,000 Maniacs' 1987 album In My Tribe,[2] following "Peace Train".[3] A live version with lead vocalist Mary Ramsey was also included on their 2016 album Playing Favorites.
| "Like the Weather" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by 10,000 Maniacs | ||||
| from the album In My Tribe | ||||
| Released | January 1988[1] | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Label | Elektra | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Natalie Merchant | |||
| Producer(s) | Peter Asher | |||
| 10,000 Maniacs singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Like The Weather" | ||||
Background and lyrics
edit"Like the Weather" was written by 10,000 Maniacs frontwoman and vocalist Natalie Merchant. Lyrically, the song, according to AllMusic's Liana Jones, "provides a rare instance where the band departs from addressing political and social issues to discuss the very primal human instinct to stay in bed due to the cruddy weather outside."[4] Rolling Stone similarly described the song as "about, well, a really, really bad mood."[5]
At a musical level, the song features an upbeat melody that contrasts with the dourness of the lyrics. Of this juxtaposition, 10,000 Maniacs bassist Steve Gustafson commented, "We liked to play toe-tapping music. Stuff you could dance to with a big beat. Her [Merchant's] view of the world was sometimes in stark contrast to that joy we got from playing. It made us unique. I think she is a fabulous lyricist."[6]
Release
edit"Like the Weather" was released as the third single from the band's 1987 album In My Tribe. The single would prove to be the band's breakthrough hit, reaching number 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 37 on the Mainstream Rock chart. It was the band's first single to chart on either chart.
The single's release was accompanied by a music video directed by Adrian Edmondson. Rolling Stone described the video as "a shiny, happy video starring an adorably pouty Merchant."[5]
Reception
editAllMusic's Jones spoke glowingly of the song, stating, "Next time when you rise for work in the morning and it's pouring outside, have a listen to 'Like the Weather.' The song won't make the sun come out, but it will put things in a lighter perspective and maybe even make stepping out the door a bit easier."[4] The Post-Standard described the song as a "classic hit," while Rolling Stone praised the song's "buoyant" music.[7]
Current 10,000 Maniacs vocalist Mary Ramsey, who replaced Merchant after she left the band in 1993, noted the song was one of the band's "must play" tracks in live performances, due to its popularity with fans.[8]
Chart performance
edit| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 68 |
| US "Billboard" Mainstream Rock | 37 |
References
edit- ^ DeCurtis, Anthony (1999). Rocking My Life Away: Writing About Music and Other Matters. Duke University Press. pp. 161–164. ISBN 0-8223-2419-9.
- ^ "100 Best Albums of the Eighties". Rolling Stone. 16 November 1989.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743201698.
- ^ a b Jones, Liana. "Like the Weather - 10,000 Maniacs | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ a b France, Kim (19 March 1993). "Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Wiser, Carl. "Steven Gustafson of 10,000 Maniacs". Songfacts. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ McCarthy, Patrick (9 June 2021). "Ready to tour: 10,000 Maniacs to 'blow the dust off' at Beak and Skiff on Friday". The Post-Standard. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Dyroff, Denny. "On Stage: Marc Broussard returns to World Cafe Live | The Unionville Times". The Unionville Times. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 833.
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