Storms have always been one of music’s favorite metaphors. Sometimes the thunder is literal, sometimes it’s a relationship falling apart, sometimes it’s a war closing in. This list covers songs about storms in every sense.
Be sure to check out the Songs About Storms Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Songs About Storms
1. “Storms” – Fleetwood Mac
Lyric Sample: “Living through each empty night, a deadly call inside.”
Stevie Nicks wrote this 1979 ballad about how lonely she felt after causing problems in her own and other people’s relationships.
2. “Thunderstruck” – AC/DC
Lyric Sample: “Thunder, thunder, thunder, thunder, thunderstruck!”
“Thunderstruck” is a 1990 hard rock track about an explosive experience that leaves a person feeling completely stunned and physically shaken by the moment.
Related: “Thunderstruck” Song Meaning
3. “Hurricanes and Hand Grenades” – Jason Isbell
Lyric Sample: “I’ve been through hurricanes and hand grenades, I’ve been around the world.”
This early Jason Isbell track pairs storm imagery with the language of combat to describe a love that feels more like a disaster zone than anything safe or good.
4. “Here Comes the Sun” – The Beatles
Lyric Sample: “It feels like years since it’s been here.”
“Here Comes the Sun” is about the joy of the storm finally passing. It’s about cold and darkness giving way to warmth after what felt like a very long time.
Related: “Here Comes the Sun” Song Meaning
5. “Shelter From The Storm” – Bob Dylan
Lyric Sample: “Come in, she said, I’ll give ya shelter from the storm.”
Dylan’s classic is about a woman who offered him refuge at his lowest point, the storm outside standing in for everything that had been closing in on him before she let him in.
6. “I Am the Storm” – Vo Williams
Lyric Sample: “I am the storm, the thunder that rumbles the night.”
“I Am the Storm” is an empowering song about refusing to be a passive bystander in your own life, turning the storm from something to be feared into something you embody
7. “Electrical Storm” – U2
Lyric Sample: “Electrical storm, baby, don’t cry.”
This 2002 U2 single is about the unstable state of a relationship on the edge, where the hope for a sudden change in weather mirrors the need for a fix to their relationship.
8. “When the Levee Breaks” – Led Zeppelin
Lyric Sample: “When the levee breaks, have no place to stay.”
Based on a 1929 Memphis Minnie song about the catastrophic Mississippi floods, Zeppelin’s 1971 version is about losing everything to forces too large to fight.
9. “Stormy Weather” – The Pixies
Lyric Sample: “Stormy weather, you’re on my mind.”
Originally a 1933 jazz standard about the misery of being without someone you love, the Pixies’ take on “Stormy Weather” brings their signature tension to a song that was already about barely holding on.
10. “Here Comes The Flood” – Peter Gabriel
Lyric Sample: “Here comes the flood, we will say goodbye to flesh and blood.”
This eerie Gabriel classic imagines a world where a flood forces total psychological transparency, with no walls left standing and nothing between people but whatever is actually true.
11. “Hurricane” – Luke Combs
Lyric Sample: “You wrecked my whole world when you came, and hit me like a hurricane.”
Combs’ 2017 country hit is about a woman who blew into his life with the force and unpredictability of a hurricane, changing his life in ways he couldn’t have anticipated.
12. “Kiss The Rain” – Billie Myers
Lyric Sample: “Kiss the rain, whenever you need me.”
Myers’ 1997 pop ballad is about missing someone who is far away, asking them to “kiss the rain” as a small way of feeling connected.
13. “Gimme Shelter” – The Rolling Stones
Lyric Sample: “A storm is threatening my very life today.”
“Gimme Shelter” is about the “storm” of the late ’60s, including Vietnam, civil unrest, and social collapse. It’s a song about needing protection from forces too large and too violent to outrun.
Related: “Gimme Shelter” Song Meaning
14. “Thunder and Lightning” – Chi Coltrane
Lyric Sample: “Thunder and lightning, I tell you it’s frightening.”
In this 1970s soul-rock hit, Coltrane uses thunder and lightning to describe the terrifying, electrifying effect a new love has on her. The storm is a perfect metaphor for feelings too powerful to contain or control.
15. “I of the Storm” – Of Monsters and Men
Lyric Sample: “And they call me under, and I’m shaking like a leaf.”
This 2015 indie folk song is about someone who has let fear and self-doubt become the storm inside them, recognizing that they are the source of their own chaos rather than its victim.
16. “Riders on the Storm” – The Doors
Lyric Sample: “Riders on the storm, into this house we’re born.”
This iconic track by the Doors is about the randomness of life and death, and the idea that everyone is just passing through this world with no guarantees.
17. “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Lyric Sample: “I want to know, have you ever seen the rain, coming down on a sunny day?”
This 1971 CCR classic is about watching something fall apart even while it appears to be thriving. John Fogerty wrote it about watching the band fall apart.
Related: “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” Song Meaning
18. “Perfect Storm” – Nathan Evans
Lyric Sample: “And when the waves come crushing down around me, when I’m with you, they can do no harm.”
“Perfect Storm” is a 2024 folk-pop song about two people who have known each other since childhood, knowing that no matter what life throws at them, they’ll get through it together.
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19. “After the Storm” – Mumford & Sons
Lyric Sample: “But there will come a time, you’ll see, with no more tears.”
This 2009 folk-rock track is about holding on through something difficult, trusting that the storm passes and life picks back up again.
20. “Lightning Crashes” – Live
Lyric Sample: “Lightning crashes, a new mother cries.”
Live’s 1994 hit is about a woman dying in one room while a baby is born in another, the idea being that life and death are always happening at the same time.
Related: “Lightning Crashes” Song Meaning
21. “Set Fire To The Rain” – Adele
Lyric Sample: “I set fire to the rain, watched it pour as I touched your face.”
“Set Fire to the Rain” is a 2011 pop hit about a relationship that felt intense and real but was built on lies, and the anger and confusion of finding that out.
Related: “Set Fire To The Rain” Song Meaning
22. “Blowin’ in the Wind” – Bob Dylan
Lyric Sample: “How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man?”
Dylan’s 1963 folk classic asks a series of questions about war, peace, and basic human rights, saying that the answers are obvious and yet somehow the world still hasn’t acted on them.
23. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” – Scorpions
Lyric Sample: “Here I am, rock you like a hurricane.”
The Scorpions’ 1984 hard rock tune is about the overwhelming power of physical attraction. The hurricane is a way of describing how completely it takes over.
24. “Storm Coming” – CeeLo Green
Lyric Sample: “There’s truth in the thunder, love in the lightning.”
“Storm Coming” is a 2006 soul-rock track about knowing something significant is headed your way and not being able to do anything but wait for it.
25. “Here Comes the Rain Again” – Eurythmics
Lyric Sample: “Here comes the rain again, falling on my head like a memory.”
This 1984 classic is about recurring depression, the rain coming back the same way a low mood does, heavy and hard to stop.
Related: Songs About Rain
26. “November Rain” – Guns N’ Roses
Lyric Sample: “When I look into your eyes, I can see a love restrained.”
This nine-minute 1991 rock ballad is about a relationship falling apart despite both people’s best efforts, the storm outside matching the grief building inside.
Related: “November Rain” Lyrics Breakdown
27. “Thunder” – Imagine Dragons
Lyric Sample: “Thunder, feel the thunder, lightning and the thunder.”
This 2017 pop-rock track is about a person who was once dismissed as a dreamer but has now become a powerful and successful force in the world.
28. “Rain” – The Script
Lyric Sample: “All it does is rain, rain, rain down on me.”
This 2008 track is about being stuck in sadness while life continues around you. The rain is less about the weather than about a feeling that won’t let up.
29. “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall” – Bob Dylan
Lyric Sample: “Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?”
Dylan wrote this during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Each verse described scenes of poverty, war, and injustice, with the hard rain a warning that the consequences of all of it are coming.
30. “Storm Front” – Billy Joel
Lyric Sample: “There’s a storm front coming, mood indigo, white water running and the pressure is low.”
“Storm Front” is about political and environmental problems building up in the late ’80s. Joel uses the weather to describe a world heading toward serious trouble.
31. “Hurricane” – Kyuss
Lyric Sample: “I can’t breathe, said I can’t breathe nothing.”
Kyuss’ early ’90s stoner rock track is about being overwhelmed with emotions too big and too loud to manage. The hurricane describes internal chaos rather than anything in the sky.
32. “October Rain” – Shulem Lemmer
Lyric Sample: “I’m still wet from this October rain.”
Shulem released “October Rain” in 2024 in the aftermath of the October 7th attacks. It’s a song about grief that lingers long after the event that caused it.
33. “I’m Only Happy When It Rains” – Garbage
Lyric Sample: “I’m only happy when it rains, I’m only happy when it’s complicated.”
Garbage’s 1995 alt-rock hit is a grunge-pop song about embracing negativity. The rain is a metaphor for finding solace in discomfort.
34. “Raining on Sunday” – Keith Urban
Lyric Sample: “Pray that it’s raining on Sunday, storming like crazy.”
This 2003 country ballad is about a couple enjoying a slow, rainy Sunday together, the storm outside turning into the best possible reason to stay in all day.
Related: Best Songs About Sunday
35. “She’s Thunderstorms” – Arctic Monkeys
Lyric Sample: “She’s thunderstorms, lying on her front, up against the wall.”
“She’s Thunderstorms” is a 2011 track about a woman who has an electric, unpredictable energy about her, the kind of person who changes the feeling in a room just by walking into it.
Conclusion
Storms are one of music’s most flexible metaphors. They can mean war, heartbreak, inner chaos, the arrival of something powerful, or just the relief of rain after a long dry spell. This list covers all of it, and then some.
Check out the Best Songs About Nature!
