Song Lyric Sunday — Rhythm of the Rain

Fandango

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday theme, Helen Vahdati picked “listen.” I’m reaching way back to my freshman year in high school for my song choice, “Rhythm of the Rain” by the Cascades.

The song, recorded by The Cascades, was released in November 1962. It was written by Cascades band member John Claude Gummoe. “Rhythm of the Rain” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in March 1963 and number 1 on Billboards Easy Listening chart. Billboard ranked the record as the number 4 song of 1963.

The song is about a man whose lover has left him. The falling rain reminds him what a fool he has been. He asks the rain for answers, but ultimately he wishes it would just go away and let him cry alone.

Gummoe said that he wrote “Rhythm of the Rain” over a period of time, but the lyrics began while he was serving in the U.S. Navy. The ship he was on was sailing in the North Pacific and it was raining heavily and the seas were tossing. He felt like the rhythmic sound of the rain was talking to him.

Dozens of artists have covered this song, including Lawrence Welk, Bobby Darin, Johnny Rivers, Dan Fogelberg, Jan & Dean, Neil Sedaka, and Jerry Jeff Walker. A huge worldwide hit, BMI named “Rhythm of the Rain” the ninth most performed song of the 20th century.

Sadly, the Cascades turned out to be a one-hit wonder, as neither of their two follow-up songs charted and the group broke up in 1967.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain
Telling me just what a fool I’ve been
I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain
And let me be alone again

The only girl I care about has gone away
Looking for a brand new start
But little does she know that when she left that day
Along with her she took my heart

Rain please tell me now does that seem fair
For her to steal my heart away when she don’t care?
I can’t love another when my hearts somewhere far away

The only girl I care about has gone away
Looking for a brand new start
But little does she know that when she left that day
Along with her she took my heart

Rain won’t you tell her that I love her so
Please ask the sun to set her heart aglow
Rain in her heart and let the love we knew start to grow

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain
Telling me just what a fool I’ve been
I wish that it would go and let me cry in vain
And let me be alone again

Oh, listen to the falling rain
Pitter patter, pitter patter
Oh, oh, oh, listen to the falling rain
Pitter patter, pitter patter

22 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday — Rhythm of the Rain”

  3. Pingback: Q & A – A little weekend fun – The Haunted Wordsmith
  4. Pingback: Awards Season – From the Heart & A Creative Mind – The Haunted Wordsmith
    • Fandango November 18, 2018 / 8:07 am

      We have four skylights over our kitchen, and almost every time we get a heavy rain, I start singing this song. My wife hates when I do that.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply
  7. msjadeli November 18, 2018 / 9:08 am

    OMG I haven’t heard this song in years. I love the melody of this song and how it shifts.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  9. Marleen November 18, 2018 / 11:46 am

    Very easy listening. Great song. I’m glad “listen” sparked this memory.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. J-Dub November 18, 2018 / 12:23 pm

    Makes me want to dance in addition to listening.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
      • J-Dub November 19, 2018 / 12:01 pm

        True. I don’t always pay attention to the lyrics. I probably should though.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
  11. ghostmmnc November 18, 2018 / 2:09 pm

    Ahh, yes! Love this one, and I do love hearing the rain falling. Reminds me of a friend’s birthday party I went to, and it was pouring rain…we all started singing this song. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Sight11 November 18, 2018 / 6:46 pm

    So how’s your singing voice?

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Fandango Cancel reply