Stormy Weather
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra Feat. Ivie Anderson Lyrics

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Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time
Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather
Just can't get my poor old self together
I'm weary all the time, the time
So weary all the time

When she went away the blues walked in and they met me

If she stays away, that old rocking chair's gonna get me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more

Can't go on, everything I had is gone, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the time
Keeps raining all the time

(When she went away the blues walked in and they met me
If she stays away, that old rocking chair's will get me
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me
Walk in the sun once more)

Can't go on, everything I had is gone, stormy weather
Since my gal and I ain't together

Keeps raining all the time, the time
Keeps raining all the time

Overall Meaning

"Stormy Weather" by Duke Ellington & His Orchestra featuring Ivie Anderson is a beautifully tragic song about the sadness and despair that comes with a lost love. The song begins with an opening line that sets the tone for the entire song. "Don't know why, there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather" speaks to the heartbreak the singer is feeling. The use of the weather metaphor is a common one in music, but here it's particularly powerful. The sun, which often represents happiness and hope, is absent, and instead, the stormy conditions reflect the turmoil within the singer's heart. She's lost her man, and her whole world seems to have crumbled around her, which is further emphasized with the lines "Life is bare, gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather."

The second verse finds the singer sinking further into misery. She can't seem to pull herself together and is "weary all the time." The sadness she feels is all-consuming, and it feels like it will never end. She's praying for relief, but it's hard to believe it will ever come. The third verse is particularly poignant, as the singer realizes that if her man doesn't come back, she'll be alone and desolate. "Old rocking chair will get me" is such a vivid image, suggesting not only the loneliness that comes with a lost love but also the weight of old age and loneliness. The repetition of "keeps raining all the time" ties the song together, emphasizing that the pain and sadness the singer feels have not let up.

Line by Line Meaning

Don't know why
I don't understand the reason

There's no sun up in the sky
The sky is cloudy and there is no sunshine

Stormy weather
The current climate is turbulent

Since my man and I ain't together
Ever since my partner left

Keeps raining all the time
There seems to be constant precipitation

Life is bare
Existence is empty

Gloom and misery everywhere
There is a prevalent feeling of sadness and despair

Just can't get my poorself together
I am unable to pull myself out of this state

I'm weary all the time
I am constantly exhausted

The time, so weary all the time
This feeling seems never-ending

Since he went away
Since he left