Radio 77, side B, track 4: “No Rain” by Blind Melon

Oh, Blind Melon, I was a junior in high school when this originally came out, but it makes me think of college nonetheless.  During my freshman and sophomore years of college, my roommates and I watched a lot of MTV.  Like, a LOT.  All the time.  I know I’ve written more than a few times about my general disdain for music videos on here, but that was not the case back in the day.  Any song that came out in the early to mid-’90s,  I probably saw the video for it about a thousand times.  This was one of them, and of course I loved it, mostly due to the bee girl.

I haven’t heard this song or seen the video for it in probably a couple of decades and of course I was immediately drowning in a wave of nostalgia.  And it struck me immediately just why I’ve grown to not like music videos.  Because first I listened to this song, and I realized just how melancholy it was and how eerily it reminds me of me.  Because I’m the kind of guy who sleeps all day and doesn’t trust a day with no rain.  Although I understand it.  It’s called depression, Blind Melon.

But then I watched the video, and it was a whole different experience.  Sure, it starts off heartbreaking with everybody laughing at bee girl, but then at the end (and I had totally forgotten about this) she’s SO HAPPY when she discovers her fellow bee dancers.  I got more than a little choked up at her pure joy at finding more of her own kind.  I do love that bee girl and her bee booty shaking.  But I don’t know if uplifting is the note we want to end this song on, Blind Melon.

It’s all very confusing, because I do love that video very much, but because of that video, I totally missed the point of the song.  I don’t know, Blind Melon, but I have a feeling BOB is going to play more of these songs from my college-hood, so we can explore my music video frustrations at a later time.  I’m just going to spend the rest of the day trying to keep my cheeks dry.

lyrics to “No Rain”