I was really hoping Hurricane Irene would weaken enough that there would be no reason to reckon with it here, but sadly that does not seem to be the case. I just got my first email from a friend in Irene's path -- the wonderful screenwriter Susannah Grant -- wondering when my Hurricane playlist was coming. Here, then, are some songs that might provide a little shelter from the storm -- though I would strongly suggest that everyone listen to the breaking news first.
As Benjamin Franklin once pointed out, "Some are weather-wise; some are otherwise." So please be weather-wise out there, and add your own songs for riding the storm out below. I truly hope that we can all get together and sing "Goodnight Irene" as soon as possible.
SHELTER FROM THE STORM -- Bob Dylan
LIKE A HURRICANE -- Neil Young
HERE COMES THE FLOOD -- Peter Gabriel
EVACUATION -- Pearl Jam
STORM COMING -- Gnarls Barkley
STORM WINDOWS -- John Prine
AMERICAN STORM -- Bob Seger
HIGHER GROUND -- Stevie Wonder
RIDERS ON THE STORM -- The Doors
STORM -- North Mississippi Allstars
HURRICANE -- Bob Dylan
CAREFUL WHERE YOU STAND -- Coldplay
LOST & FOUND -- The Kinks
RAINING IN MY HEART -- Buddy Holly
COME RAIN OR COME SHINE -- Frank Sinatra
WHEN THE WIND BLOWS -- The All American Rejects
CAREFUL -- Paramore
RAIN -- The Beatles
IT'S RAINING AGAIN -- Supertramp
TAKE CARE -- Big Star
CAREFUL -- Guster
COME BACK WHEN IT AIN'T RAINING -- Trisha Yearwood
RIDIN' THE STORM OUT -- REO Speedwagon
SPIRIT OF A STORM -- Kenny Chesney
STORMS -- Fleetwood Mac
RAIN KING -- Counting Crows
CRYING IN THE RAIN -- The Everly Brothers
HURRICANE DRUNK -- Florence And The Machine
HURRICANE WATERS -- Citizen Cope
HERE COMES THE RAIN AGAIN -- The Eurythmics
I CAN'T STAND THE RAIN -- Ann Peebles
I MADE IT THROUGH THE RAIN -- Barry Manilow
HURRICANE -- Panic! At The Disco
TORNADO WARNING -- Pure Prarie League
RAIN SONG -- Led Zeppelin
STORM FRONT -- Billy Joel
LIKE THE WEATHER --10,000 Maniacs
OH BABE WHAT WOULD YOU SAY -- Hurricane Smith
AFTER THE STORM -- Mumford & Sons
GOODNIGHT IRENE -- Pete Seeger