Poetic Weather

In June of 2008, far Northern California was hit by a beautiful, awful summer storm - there was no rain, but incredible flashes of Dry Lightning touched down and ignited hundreds of wild fires. Many burned throughout the long smokey summer. That dismal season left the land scarred and black and gave me the metaphor that inspired this song.

Bonus: I also learned -- once and for all -- how to spell "lightning."

6:59 AM -- And now I've JUST discovered that Bruce Springsteen has a song called "Dry Lightning" -- Ah, well....his is better. Surprise.

Youtube is suddenly being very flakey with embedded video. Here's a YouTube link to the song: Dry Lightning




Dry Lightning

Words and music © Erin Coombs Friedman

He looks like a cool drink of something fine
To a heart that suffered years of drought
But he’s a dangerous storm in the summertime
A dark cloud that hides
Dry Lightning inside
He strikes and you can’t put that fire out


Dry Lightning
A storm without the rain
Dry Lightning
A flash of blue - then the flame
Dry Lightning strafes the ground
Already parched and brown
Rolls away when the thunder sounds


I lay down in the path of his destruction
Mesmerized by the fiery display
Fell for that devil’s seduction
He’s all slash and burn
Take it from a gal who learned
Save yourself or there’ll be hell to pay

Dry Lightning
A storm without the rain
Dry Lightning
A flash of blue - then the flame
Dry Lightning strafes the ground
Already parched and brown
Rolls away when the thunder sounds