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This song was in the charts in the 1970s and has an inspiring message. It’s about overcoming the hard times and having confidence that things will get better.
Sing along
Listen to the song and clap along in time to the beat, feeling the rhythm and mood of the song. Listen again and join in with the words, making sure you articulate them clearly. Notice that the song slows down at the end. Why not look up some British Sign Language for key words in the song such as ‘rain’, ‘see’, and ‘sunshine’ and see if you can find the original version of this song to listen to?
Clever lyrics
Chat to someone about these questions:
Q. What do you think the song is about?
Q. Is it actually about the weather?
Q. What do the weather lyrics represent?
The song uses language about the weather to represent feelings. Can you think of any phrases that we use in everyday life that are based on the weather? Here are some examples:
Now it's your turn. Fill in the gaps in the phrases using the word bank below.
sunshine calm cloud rain weather horizon
Feelings painting
Ask someone to help you look up some famous artworks such as: Snow Storm by JMW Turner, The Bridge in the Rain and Le soleil, both by Van Gogh. How do these paintings make you feel? Discuss what emotions the artworks might represent. Have a go at creating your own nature picture with whatever art materials you have available that reflect how you're feeling at the moment. It might include some dark clouds if you're worried about something new or some rays of sunshine if you've been laughing. When you've finished, show it to someone and talk about your use of colour and choices of weather conditions.
The sun will come out
Watch the video and listen to the song 'Tomorrow' from the film Annie. We all have good and bad days and life will have ups and downs. On a piece of paper (portrait) draw the outline of a cloud in the bottom half of the page. In the top half, draw the outline of a sun coming up behind the clouds. In the cloud, write or draw drawing something that is worrying or bothering you and in the sunshine, something that helps or makes you feel better.
Sunshiny day
Have a chat with a friend or grown up about the things that make you feel good and that cause you to have a ‘sunshiny day’. Is it hearing your favourite song on the radio? Seeing family and friends? Eating your favourite meal? Choose a way of showing what it is and how it makes you happy. You could:
Weathervane of emotions
Create a weathervane with a range of emotions plotted on it (in words and/or images). Use it to start a conversation and help children to notice and name their feelings. Ask them to identify which emotions they are feeling and talk about why. Follow this by discussing ways to support friends and family members. How can we comfort them in times of sadness and celebrate with them in times of joy?
Journey of life
The song uses weather imagery in the lyrics as a metaphor for the singer’s perspective on life. A metaphor is a word or phrase which describes something in a way that isn’t literally true by drawing a comparison to something else. For example, the rain represents some negative feelings that the singer has been experiencing. Try and get children to identify and discuss any other metaphors in the lyrics. What might the blue skies in the song really represent?
People sometimes talk about life as a journey; there are twists and turns along the road. Together with the child, identify something new or different that is soon to happen in their life, such as a transition to secondary school or to a new year group. Work through the following instructions together, discussing them as you go: