> Folk Music > Songs > Rain and Snow
Rain and Snow
[
Roud 3634
; Ballad Index RcRaAnSn
; VWML CJS2/10/3291
; trad.]
Cecil Sharp collected Rain and Snow from Minnie Rice of Big Laurel, North Carolina, on 18 August 1916 [VWML CJS2/10/3291] .
Pentangle sang Rain and Snow in 1971 on their Transatlantic album Reflection.
Dave Arthur sang Cold Rain and Snow in 1997 on The Rufus Crisp Experience’s Fellside album Chickens Are A-Crowing. They noted:
You can only push people so far. An abused husband—the other side of the coin from the usual catalogue of abused women that litter the verses of traditional song. Dave first heard it sung by The Pentangle back in the Dark Ages and more recently by Amy Sarli of the Fiddle Puppet Dancers, accompanied exquisitely on 5-string banjo by Mark Schatz.
Kieron Means sang Cold Rain and Snow in 2003 on his Tradition Bearers album Run Mountain. He noted:
This is a wonderful, haunting song and although other singers have recorded it, the song is widely attributed to Obray Ramsay, a great singer and banjo player who had one foot in the old bluegrass songs and on in the traditional songs. The song had been collected by Cecil Sharp in the early 20th century and versions have been recorded by Pentangle and Jerry Garcia with The Grateful Dead.
Elizabeth LaPrelle sang Rain and Snow in 2004 as the title track of her CD Rain and Snow. She noted:
Betsy Rutherford is from Galax, VA, not too far away from our farm. The first time I heard her LP, I loved this song, and Betsy Rutherford’s singing has influenced me a lot.
Chris and Siobhan Nelson sang Rain and Snow on their 2006 album Day Has Dawned. They noted:
A beautiful traditional American song. We got this version, which has particularly sinister overtones, from the wonderful Fiddle Puppet Dancers; the words were adapted by Mark Schatz, their bass player.
Josienne Clarke sang Rain and Snow in 2011 on her and Ben Walker’s CD The Seas Are Deep.
Broom Bezzums sang Rain and Snow on their 2012 album Winterman. They noted:
Many people have done this song, which we always have loved singing. Dedicated to all troublesome women.
Said the Maiden sang Rain and Snow on their 2014 CD A Curious Tale.
Rosemary Wilkes sang Rain and Snow in 2017 on the Conservatoire Folk Ensemble’s album Painted.
In this video The Auldeners (Iona Fyfe, Callum Morton-Teng, Ellen Gira) perform Rain and Snow, probably in early 2020:
Molly Tuttle sang Cold Rain and Snow as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of her 2022 album Crooked Tree.
Lyrics
Pentangle sing Rain and Snow
Ran me out in the cold rain and snow.
Well I married me a wife
She gave me trouble all my life
Ran me out in the cold rain and snow
Rain and snow, rain and snow
Ran me out in the cold rain and snow.
She came running on down the stair
Combing back her long yellow hair
And her cheeks were as red as the rose
As a rose, as a rose
And her cheeks were as red as a rose.
She came on into the room
Where she met her fatal doom
Saying I can’t get along with you
With you, with you
Saying I can’t get along with you.
Well I ain’t got no use
For your red apple juice
And I’m not a-gonna be treated this a-way
This a-way, this a-way
And I’m not a-gonna be treated this a-way.
I see you sitting in the shade
Counting every dime I’ve made
I’m so broke and I’m hungry too
Hungry too, hungry too
I’m so broke and I’m hungry too.
Well I married me a wife
She gave me trouble all my life
Ran me out in the cold rain and snow
Rain and snow, rain and snow
Ran me out in the cold rain and snow
Ran me out in the cold rain and snow.
Elizabeth LaPrelle sings Rain and Snow
Well, I married me a wife
She gave me trouble all my life
Threw me out in the cold rain and snow
Rain and snow, o-o-ow, oh Lord
Threw me out in that cold rain and snow
Well, I’ve done all that I can do
Just to try to get along with you
And I ain’t gonna be treated this a way
This a way, a-a-way, oh Lord
I ain’t gonna be treated this a way
Well I saw her came down the stair
Throwing back her long yellow hair
And her cheeks were as red as a rose
As a ro-o-se, oh Lord
And her cheeks were as red as a rose
(repeat first verse)
Broom Bezzums sing Rain and Snow
Well I had me a wife
She gave me trouble all my life
Left me out in the cold rain and snow
Rain and snow-o-ow, rain and snow-o-ow
Left me out in the cold rain and snow
Well I have done all that I can do
To try and get along with you
But no longer can I stay
No an I sta-a-ay, can I sta-a-ay
But no longer can I stay
I ain’t got no use
For your red berry juice
And I am not gonna be treated this way
For this wa-a-ay, this wa-a-ay
No I am not gonna be treated this way
See you coming on down the stairs
With your long flowing hair
Your cheeks are as red as a rose
Red as a ro-o-ose, as a ro-o-ose
And your cheeks are as red as a rose
See you coming on in the room
For to meet your fateful doom
And I’m going where those chilly winds don’t blow
Those winds don’t blo-o-ow, winds don’t blo-o-ow
Well I’m going where those chilly winds don’t blow