Don't know if anyone has noticed, but it's hot outside.
Like Africa hot. Like seventh layer of Hades hot. Like why-have-I-lived-in-the-South-all-my-life-what-is-wrong-with-me hot.
So in the interest of being a blessing, here are a few songs that may offer brief, cooling relief as sweat pours off your body (yes, the Bob Seger reference is intentional).
And I promise, Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" is not one of them, nor are "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" by B.J. Thomas or "It's Raining Men" by Weather Girls. Cold beers are optional, but highly recommended.
Shawn Ryan* "Hell Ain't a Bad Place to Be" by AC/DC. I guess it depends on your point of view, but at least the thought is optimistic.
* "Rain in the Summertime" by The Alarm. "I love to feel the rain in the summertime/I love to feel the rain on my face." Yeah, you do - except when the rain feels like a warm shower instead of a plunge into cool water.
* "Rain Down on Me" by Blue Rodeo. Not exactly the happiest song in the world but the arrangement certainly triggers thoughts of gray, rainy days.
* "Rain" by the Beatles. While the folks in the song "run and hide their heads" when the rain comes, maybe we ought to rethink that plan.
* "Good One Comin' On" by Blackberry Smoke. A lake, beverages, girls and other "accoutrements." OK, you'll still sweat, but who cares?
* "Cryin' in the Rain" by Whitesnake. The 1982 bluesy original, not the shiny, oh-so-'80s version from 1987.
* "The Rain Song" by Led Zeppelin. Dreamy and languid. Close your eyes and float downstream.
* "Hatful of Rain" by Del Amitri. Bouncy and melodic. Excellent for jumping happily from puddle to puddle.
* "Rainy Night in Georgia" by Brook Benton. A rainy night in Georgia or Tennessee would be fine for our area.
* "I Wish It Would Rain" by the Temptations. Don't we all? (For a harder-edged version of this song, check out the take by Little Caesar.)
* "Let It Rain" by Eric Clapton or UFO or Melissa Etheridge. Three separate songs. Take your pick; whichever one works for you.
* "Who'll Stop the Rain" and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival. OK, why would you want to stop the rain in heat like this?
* "I Feel the Rain" by the Trews. The song by the Nova Scotia band is more about love than rain, but in days like these, feeling rain for any reason may be welcome.
* "Purple Rain" by Prince. No list about rain is complete without it.
Contact Shawn Ryan at mshawnryan@gmail.com.