This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Chewing on a piece of grass
Walking down the road
Tell me, how long you gonna stay here Joe?
Some people say this town don't look good in snow
You don't care, I know
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger
Than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying, no despair
Alligator lizards in the air
In the air
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do, do
Wishin' on a falling star
Waitin' for the early train
Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain
Aw, come on Joe, you can always change your name
Thanks a lot son, just the same
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger
Than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying, no despair
Alligator lizards in the air
In the air
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Walking down the road
Tell me, how long you gonna stay here Joe?
Some people say this town don't look good in snow
You don't care, I know
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger
Than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying, no despair
Alligator lizards in the air
In the air
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do, do
Wishin' on a falling star
Waitin' for the early train
Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain
Aw, come on Joe, you can always change your name
Thanks a lot son, just the same
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger
Than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying, no despair
Alligator lizards in the air
In the air
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
Do, do-do, do, do-do
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I still have a couple of real questions about this song. This is the first mention lyrically (long before Prince considered it) of "purple rain." What is purple rain?? Then, my second question is what the heck does he mean by "alligator lizards in the air"????
@beachdoc he means clouds (shaped like alligators or lizards)
@beachdoc Bunnell explained that alligator lizards in the air were shapes made by passing clouds on a sunny day when he was a kid. But I always assumed that being struck by "purple rain" meant that he had hit some good acid and was literally "tripping" while waiting for a metaphorical "early train". That's the kind of thing that can run through your mind while on L.S.D. It also explains why he may have been having a conversation with himself. One part of him wanting to run away from his current situation..."Aw, come on Joe, you can always change your name." But the other more rational part of his mind says that's not really what he wants to do, "Thanks a lot son, just the same." Back in those days various batches of L.S.D. were often given distinct names like "Orange Doubledomes", or "Owsleys", or whatever. I never heard of "Purple Rain" myself, but it sure sounds like a nick name for acid to me, and that's what I've always thought when I hear that lyric.
@beachdoc He is tripping on LSD; my husband says that is what they call sewing needles out there, so perhaps it is both the acid and the flying bugs in the air! Also, purple rain is the name of LSD, I will bet. We used to call it Purple MicroDot back in the early '70s. Hope this helps.