A friend of mine is collecting this song and he is real curious where it originated. He has only american recordings but he is sure it comes from europe.

thanks for answers

manfred

I wish I had seen this post sooner. Sorry for the delay. Here's what I found on "Rain and Snow"

RELATES TO: "Nine Hundred Miles"songs: "Reuben's Train," such as the Grayson/Whitter "Train 45"; and �One Hundred Miles� by Flatt and Scruggs.

SIMILAR LYRICS: �Red Apple Juice;� �Red Rocking Chair;� �Sugar Baby;� �Honey Babe Blues;� �Ain�t Got No Honey Baby Now;� �I Ain�t Got No Honey Baby Now;� �Pay Day;� �Storms Are on the Ocean, The�

SOURCES: The earliest version of �Rain and Snow� is found in Sharp and Karpeles' 'English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians', #116 (with a tune) as sung by Mrs. Tom Rice at Big Laurel, NC Aug. 18, 1916. In 1963 Obray Ramsay recording on PRESTIGE/INTERNATIONAL 13020, 'Folksongs from the Three Laurels'. Ramsay�s version has been reissued on Shanachie: Roots of the Grateful Dead Various Artists (Released 10/17/95). The Grateful Dead versions are based on Ramsay�s and perhaps was influenced by Peter Rowan, who sang the �Rain and Snow� with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys in the mid 60�s. The Dead have recorded many live versions of �Cold Rain and Snow� plus one instrumental.

More can gleaned at the website here:

http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/master/...inandsnow2.html