Emotional Weather Report Lyrics
It's not a complicated song, it's basically a clever way of combining weather forecasting terminology with emotional description. Crying is equated with precipitation and rain, clouds and fog related to confusion and a 'foggy' state of mind, in other words uncertainty in dealing with a bad breakup, and how to continue in a healthy way. What follows is predictable to a degree, like weather, but it's not exactly going to be sunny for Tom here.
It's just a pseudo-beatnik poem about weather both literally and abstract. It's great, just like most Waits stuff.
i don't know what it means, but it's fun to listen to for some reason... still one of my favs by waits.
Not sure if Tom Waits intended this here, but this analogy between weather and the mind is somewhat genius because it offers a very simple and accurate depiction of how our minds work. Although we can predict weather it is at the end of the day random. And just as we can predict thoughts and emotions they are also ultimately random. Additionally, the way he simply notices these forecasts without assigning good or bad to them shows that he's able to see thoughts as what they really are, appearances in consciousness. And how they are not good or bad until we put concepts to them. This depiction is incredibly freeing for the usual way we go about our life for two reasons:
- We can notice when we are experiencing a strong emotion, which helps to dissipate it as we realize it is just an emotion.
- Even if it has not dissipated entirely, you don't have to continue to worry about it. You can learn to look at it as just a storm or rainshower that is typically okay to be in. Meaning if you are sad, frustrated, or tired, you can still typically participate under those conditions. Maybe you won't be as efficient as you were without these feelings but once you show up you'll be surprised at how productive you still are.