Why Does It Always Rain on Me?

"Why Does It Always Rain on Me?"
Single by Travis
from the album The Man Who
Released	2 August 1999
Format	CD single, cassette
Recorded	1998–99
Genre	Post-Britpop
Length	4:25 (album version) 3:14 (radio edit)
Label	Independiente
Writer(s)	Fran Healy
Producer(s)	Nigel Godrich
Travis singles chronology
"Driftwood" (1999) "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" (1999) "Turn" (1999)

"Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" is a song by Scottish band Travis, released as the third single from their second studio album, The Man Who. The song became the group's international breakthrough single, receiving recognition around the world. It was their first Top 10 hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at #10. The song also peaked at #11 on the ARIA Chart, and achieved success in Japan and America.

The song was written by frontman Fran Healy who wrote the song while on holiday in Israel. He wanted to go somewhere sunny because in his hometown of Glasgow it rained all the time. In an interview at the Live 8 concert, he explained that he was spending a short holiday in the southern vacation city of Eilat, Israel in the middle of the winter.^[1] The city is known for its hot weather even during winter time, but surprisingly it began to rain for two days during his stay.

When Travis started to perform this song at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival, after being sunny for several hours, it began to rain exactly when the first line was sung.

In a poll by listeners of Absolute Radio the song was ranked 39th on a list of the top 100 songs of the 1990s.

Music video

The music video was directed by John Hardwick and filmed in Cornwall, with scenes filmed on Craddock Moor. The pool of water that the band jump into is part of a disused mining quarry known locally as "Gold Digger's Mine". The video features the band in a rain-soaked setting, with the band having locked frontman Healy, wearing a kilt, in the boot of a 1970s Vauxhall Viva. Healy escapes, and chases the rest of the band into a disused mining quarry. The video continues with the band being shown in a floating living room, performing the song. The video ends with the living room floating away. It does not actually rain at any point during the video.

Track listing

• UK CD1

1. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" - 4:27
2. "Village Man" - 3:18
3. "Driftwood" (Live At The Link Café, Glasgow) - 4:07

• UK CD2

1. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" - 4:27
2. "The Urge For Going" - 6:04
3. "Slide Show" (Live At The Link Café, Glasgow) - 3:15

• 7" Vinyl / Cassette / European Single

1. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" - 4:27
2. "Village Man" - 3:18

• American E.P.

1. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" - 4:27
2. "Village Man" - 3:18
3. "The Urge For Going" - 6:04
4. "Driftwood" (Live At The Link Café, Glasgow) - 4:07
5. "Slide Show" (Live At The Link Café, Glasgow) - 3:15

• Australian Single

1. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" - 4:27
2. "Village Man" - 3:18
3. "Driftwood" (Live At The Link Café, Glasgow) - 4:07
4. "Baby One More Time" (Live At The Bay Tavern, Robin Hood's Bay) - 3:30
5. "Why Does It Always Rain On Me?" (Video)

Charts

References