As long as there has been blues music, there have been songs about the weather and the winter is certainly no exception. Many musicians would use the chilly temperatures as a metaphor for their relationships with their significant other.
In 1935, Blind Willie McTell released "Cold Winter Day", telling his woman "you need me on a cold winter day". Well that is definitely true in these conditions, when the barometer dips below freezing and you need someone to hold you close and keep you warm.
Sonny Boy Williamson wasn't so lucky. In his song "Nine Below Zero" he sang "that woman wait till it got nine below zero and put me down for another man". Boy, that woman sure was cold-blooded. She must have had ice water in her veins to give old Sonny Boy the deep freeze like that.
Muddy Waters wasn't finished with the winter weather when he wrote "Cold Weather Blues", oh no. See, Muddy migrated from the Delta and moved up north to the Windy City of Chicago, a town known for its blistery winter weather. That's why Muddy sang "it's so cold up north that a bird can hardly fly. Now you know I'm goin' back down south, let this winter pass me by" in "Cold Up North". Was he actually singing about the freezing cold temperatures or was his lady giving him the cold shoulder? Maybe, both.
And we mustn't forget Stevie Ray Vaughan's hit "Couldn't Stand the Weather". Stevie says "all these years that you and I've spent together. All this, we just couldn't stand the weather". Sounds like SRV's relationship could use a log on the fire.
So yes, relationships are conducive to the weather. But fear not, spring is just around the corner and with it warmer weather to heat things up. Until next time, boys and girls. Keep It Bluesy!
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