Kris Delmhorst (reputedly born in 1970 in Brooklyn) is an American folk sin… Read Full Bio ↴Kris Delmhorst (reputedly born in 1970 in Brooklyn) is an American folk singer based in Boston. In 1998, after several years of experience of performing live, Delmhorst finally finished recording her debut album, Appetite. In the same year she was involved in producing the Respond compilation, a fundraiser for domestic violence groups, which included her song "Weatherman".

In 1999, Delmhorst released a live album with The Vinal Avenue String Band, consisting of herself, Sean Staples, and Ry Cavanaugh.

Delmhorst is married to Jeffrey Foucault. In 2003, Delmhorst, Foucault, and Peter Mulvey released an album entitled Redbird.

Delmhorst's more recent albums include Strange Conversation (2006), Shotgun Singer (2008), and Cars (2011).

Hurricane
Kris Delmhorst Lyrics

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Babe, you always were a hurricane
The way that first you'd rage and then you'd rain
And all the calm there in your eye
Just felt like a lie, it always changed

You could see it coming on for miles
Ripping up the trees and fencepost stiles
The wind turns warm, the sky goes green

That's the wildest world I've ever seen

So blow me down, blow me down
And leave me lying in your wake
Lay me low, lay me low in your old way
Let it rain, let it fall, shake the pictures off the wall
And roar away, roar away, hurricane

I've always kept the company of clouds
I like my lightning bright, my thunder loud
I was never one for bluer skies
All that bright sun droning in my eyes

So blow me down, blow me down
And leave me lying in your wake
Lay me low, lay me low one more time
Let it rain, let it pour, spin me round a little more
And roar away, roar away, hurricane

The sensible people run
But I'm holding out my tongue
For just a taste of rain, electricity
I want to feel that change washing over me

So blow me down, blow me down
And leave me lying in your wake
Lay me low, lay me low just one more time

Let it rain, let it pour, blow the hinges off the door
And roar away, roar away, hurricane

Overall Meaning

Kris Delmhorst's song Hurricane is a metaphor for a tumultuous relationship that feels like a natural disaster. The singer is addressing her partner, whom she describes as a hurricane. The stormy behavior of the partner is described in the opening lines, where the singer says, "Babe, you always were a hurricane, The way that first you'd rage and then you'd rain." The partner oscillates between extremes of anger and remorse, leaving the singer disoriented and vulnerable.

The singer is aware of the partner's mood swings from a distance and says, "You could see it coming on for miles, Ripping up the trees and fencepost stiles." The imminence of the partner's storm is evident to the singer, who has come to terms with the fact that she can do nothing to prevent it. In the chorus, the singer surrenders to the destructive force of the hurricane, saying, "Blow me down, blow me down, And leave me lying in your wake, Lay me low, lay me low in your old way, Let it rain, let it fall, shake the pictures off the wall, And roar away, roar away, hurricane."

The final verse shows the singer's acceptance of the relationship's tumultuous nature, expressing a desire to fully experience the storm's intensity. The singer says, "The sensible people run, But I'm holding out my tongue, For just a taste of rain, electricity, I want to feel that change washing over me." The song portrays the chaotic but exciting nature of a relationship that is passionate but not always stable.

Line by Line Meaning

Babe, you always were a hurricane
The person being addressed was always like a hurricane, with intense bursts of emotions and energy.

The way that first you'd rage and then you'd rain
This person would first be angry or upset and then show vulnerability and emotion.

And all the calm there in your eye
Despite the chaos this person caused, they appeared calm and collected in the middle of it all.

Just felt like a lie, it always changed
However, this exterior calm was deceptive, as this person's moods and behaviors would constantly shift and change.

You could see it coming on for miles
It was easy to predict when this person's mood or temperament would change, like a coming storm.

Ripping up the trees and fencepost stiles
When they did change, it was often destructive, causing upheaval in their own life and those around them.

The wind turns warm, the sky goes green
This line describes the ominous signs of an approaching storm, which can be both beautiful and dangerous.

That's the wildest world I've ever seen
The artist compares this metaphorical storm to the most extreme natural phenomena they have ever witnessed.

So blow me down, blow me down
The artist is asking to be swept away by this person's metaphorical hurricane.

And leave me lying in your wake
They want to be affected by this person and feel the aftermath of their emotions.

Lay me low, lay me low in your old way
The singer wants to experience this person's storm-like energy in the same way they used to attain it, before changes occurred.

Let it rain, let it fall, shake the pictures off the wall
The artist wants the storm to be intense enough to cause physical changes, like shaking the pictures off walls.

And roar away, roar away, hurricane
The singer is urging the metaphorical hurricane to be as intense as possible.

I've always kept the company of clouds
The singer has always been drawn to gloomy weather.

I like my lightning bright, my thunder loud
They enjoy the intense elements of a storm like bright lightning and loud thunder.

I was never one for bluer skies
The artist prefers the tumultuousness of storms to the calmness of a clear sky.

All that bright sun droning in my eyes
They find the sun to be boring and uninteresting.

The sensible people run
During a real storm, people tend to flee for safety.

But I'm holding out my tongue
The singer is not running away and is actually hoping to experience the storm.

For just a taste of rain, electricity
The artist wants to experience the electric energy that comes with a storm.

I want to feel that change washing over me
They want to be affected by the intense energy of a storm, feeling it completely wash over them.

Let it rain, let it pour, spin me round a little more
They are once again urging the metaphorical hurricane to be intense and exhilarating.

Blow the hinges off the door
The singer wants the storm to be intense enough to cause literal damage, like blowing a door off its hinges.

And roar away, roar away, hurricane
The artist is once again urging the metaphorical hurricane to be as intense as possible.

Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRED CURCI, STEVEN DEMARCHI, STEVEN ROSS DIAMOND, JEFF PARIS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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