Why Does It Always Rain on Me?


"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-ten hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number ten in August 1999. The song also peaked within the top twenty in Australia and achieved moderate success in mainland Europe, North America, Ireland and New Zealand.
Fran Healy wrote the song while on holiday in Israel. He wanted to go somewhere sunny because in his hometown of Glasgow, Scotland 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. 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 began 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 trunk 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.
The underwater scenes were filmed by underwater cinematographer Mark Silk, in the tank at Oceanic SW Limited, Honiton, Devon..

Track listing

UK CD1
  1. "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" – 4:27
  2. "Village Man" – 3:18
  3. "Driftwood" – 4:07
UK CD2
  1. "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" – 4:27
  2. "The Urge for Going" – 6:04
  3. "Slide Show" – 3:15
7" vinyl / Cassette / European single
  1. "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" – 4:27
  2. "Village Man" – 3:18
American EP
  1. "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" – 4:27
  2. "Village Man" - 3:18
  3. "The Urge for Going" – 6:04
  4. "Driftwood" – 4:07
  5. "Slide Show" – 3:15
Australian single
  1. "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" – 4:27
  2. "Village Man" – 3:18
  3. "Driftwood" – 4:07
  4. "Baby One More Time" – 3:30
  5. "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?"

    Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications