Stormy Down
Strawbs Lyrics


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Cousins

The night sky hung so heavy
The wet road shone so bright
Reflecting back my headlights
As I drove on in the night to stormy down.

I drew into a lay-by
My eyes were dark with strain
Turning up my collar
I walked out in the rain on stormy down.

Oh I was high on stormy down
Thinking of my friends below
But they had gone some other way
They did not want to know about stormy down.

I thought I saw the devil
In the branches of a tree
It was just imagination
But he looked a bit like me on stormy down.

Hey I was high on stormy down
Thinking of my friends below
But they had gone some other way
They did not want to know about stormy down
About stormy down, about stormy down.

The cold moon drew strange faces
On a slowly changing cloud
One looked like God the father
And I shouted right out loud on stormy down.

Oh I was high on stormy down
Thinking of my friends below
But they had gone some other way
They did not want to know about stormy down




About stormy down, about stormy down
Stormy down, stormy down ...

Overall Meaning

The song Stormy Down by Strawbs paints a vivid picture of a night drive down Stormy Down, a desolate and eerie place. The singer is driving on a wet road on a heavy night with a bright reflection of headlights. After he pulls over at a lay-by, he walks out in the rain, thinking about his friends who had chosen not to take the same path. He sees the branches of a tree in the shape of the devil and wonders if it was just his imagination or he himself resembled the devil. He keeps walking alone in the night, while the moon draws strange faces on the cloud above, one of which resembles God the father. The singer shouts out loud, feeling lost and alone in this dreary, God-forsaken place.


The song has a haunting, desolate tone that lingers with the listener. The lyrics seem to convey a sense of isolation and abandonment, with the singer feeling lost and disconnected from the world. The imagery of the devil and God adds a layer of intense existential angst and the feeling of being at the crossroads, spiritually and emotionally. Stormy Down is a metaphor for the internal turmoil the singer is going through, and the darkness and chill of the night adds to the haunting vibe of the song.


Line by Line Meaning

The night sky hung so heavy
The sky seemed ominous and oppressive


The wet road shone so bright
The road glimmered from the rain reflecting the lights of the car


Reflecting back my headlights
The light from the headlights bounced off the wet road and back to the car


As I drove on in the night to stormy down.
While driving in the night, the artist was heading towards a specific location called Stormy Down


I drew into a lay-by
The artist pulled over to the side of the road


My eyes were dark with strain
The singer's eyes were tired and weary


Turning up my collar
The singer adjusted their clothing to protect themselves from the rain


I walked out in the rain on stormy down.
The artist got out of the car and braved the rain to reach Stormy Down


Oh I was high on stormy down
The artist was feeling euphoric or intoxicated from being at Stormy Down


Thinking of my friends below
The artist was reminiscing about their friends who were not with them at Stormy Down


But they had gone some other way
The friends had chosen a different path or lifestyle


They did not want to know about stormy down.
The friends were not interested in experiencing Stormy Down


I thought I saw the devil
The singer had a moment of fear or paranoia and thought they saw the devil


In the branches of a tree
The image of the devil appeared to be in the tree branches


It was just imagination
The singer realized that the devil was not actually there and it was just a figment of their imagination


But he looked a bit like me on stormy down.
The imagined devil had a resemblance to the artist, perhaps reflecting their inner demons


The cold moon drew strange faces
The moon appeared eerie and unusual


On a slowly changing cloud
The clouds were moving and shifting, creating strange shapes


One looked like God the father
One cloud formation looked like a religious figure, specifically God the father


And I shouted right out loud on stormy down.
The artist had a sudden outburst or exclamation while at Stormy Down


About stormy down, about stormy down.
The artist is repeating the name of the location, potentially emphasizing its importance or significance




Contributed by Aaliyah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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