In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I hear the Seven Deadly Sins
And the Terrible Twins came to call on you
The bigger they are, baby
The harder they fall on you
And you, you're always the same you persevere
On the same old pleasure ground
Oh, and it never rains around here
It just comes pouring down
You had no more volunteers
So you got profiteers, for to help you out
Well, with friends like that, babe
Good friends you had to do without
And now they've taken the chains and the gears
From off the merry-go-round
Oh, and it never rains around here
It just comes pouring down
Now, your new Romeo
Was just a gigolo when he let you down
See, the faster they are, babe
The faster they get out of town
They're leaving make up stains
And the tears of a clown
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Oh, and it never rains around here
It just comes pouring down
Oh, you were just a roller coaster memory
I don't know why I was even passing through
Saw you making a date with Destiny
When he came around here asking after you
In the shadow of the Wheel of Fortune
You're busy trying to clear your name
You say "I may be guilty, yeah, that may be true
But I'd be lying if I said I was to blame
See, we could have been major contenders
We never got no money, no breaks
You've got a list of all the major offenders
You got a list of all their major mistakes"
And he just standing in the shadows
Yes and he smile that come-on smile
Oh, I can still hear you say as clear as the day
"I'd like to make it worth your while"
Oh, but it's a sad reminder
When your organ grinder has to come to you for the rent
And all you've got to give him
Is the use of your side-show tent
Yes, and that's all that remains of the years
Spent doing the rounds
And it never rains around here
Well, it just comes pouring down
Now you know what they say about beggars, babe
You can't complain about the rules
And you know what they say about beggars
You know who's the first to blame his tools
You never gave a damn about-a who you pick up
And leave-a layin' bleedin' on the ground
You screw people over on your way up
Because you thought that you were never coming down
And he'll take you out in Vaudeville Valley
With his hand up smothering your screams
And he'll screw you down in Tin Pan Alley
In the city of a billion dreams, get out
And the Terrible Twins came to call on you
The bigger they are, baby
The harder they fall on you
And you, you're always the same you persevere
On the same old pleasure ground
Oh, and it never rains around here
It just comes pouring down
You had no more volunteers
So you got profiteers, for to help you out
Well, with friends like that, babe
Good friends you had to do without
And now they've taken the chains and the gears
From off the merry-go-round
Oh, and it never rains around here
It just comes pouring down
Now, your new Romeo
Was just a gigolo when he let you down
See, the faster they are, babe
The faster they get out of town
They're leaving make up stains
And the tears of a clown
You might also like
Telegraph Road
Dire Straits
Brothers in Arms
Dire Straits
Private Investigations
Dire Straits
Oh, and it never rains around here
It just comes pouring down
Oh, you were just a roller coaster memory
I don't know why I was even passing through
Saw you making a date with Destiny
When he came around here asking after you
In the shadow of the Wheel of Fortune
You're busy trying to clear your name
You say "I may be guilty, yeah, that may be true
But I'd be lying if I said I was to blame
See, we could have been major contenders
We never got no money, no breaks
You've got a list of all the major offenders
You got a list of all their major mistakes"
And he just standing in the shadows
Yes and he smile that come-on smile
Oh, I can still hear you say as clear as the day
"I'd like to make it worth your while"
Oh, but it's a sad reminder
When your organ grinder has to come to you for the rent
And all you've got to give him
Is the use of your side-show tent
Yes, and that's all that remains of the years
Spent doing the rounds
And it never rains around here
Well, it just comes pouring down
Now you know what they say about beggars, babe
You can't complain about the rules
And you know what they say about beggars
You know who's the first to blame his tools
You never gave a damn about-a who you pick up
And leave-a layin' bleedin' on the ground
You screw people over on your way up
Because you thought that you were never coming down
And he'll take you out in Vaudeville Valley
With his hand up smothering your screams
And he'll screw you down in Tin Pan Alley
In the city of a billion dreams, get out
Lyrics submitted by Dasch, edited by moralclimate
It Never Rains Lyrics as written by Mark Knopfler
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The song was certainly built around his recent "memory" of Holly Vincent, but the deeper meaning to the song was the narrative that Hollywood and Century City (the Movie and Music industries) are run by the Illuminati...a group FAR MORE RUTHLESS than the 2-bit hustlers, cheap talents like Holly Vincent. They SWALLOW UP EVERYTHING in their path...the Good, the Bad, the Babylon Sisters...
The first verse relates to ANY of these Babylon whores who sell their souls in a back room deal with the Devil (or in this case, Devil Worshippers). And in this world, it never just rains, it always comes pouring down...either with fabulous success or with fabulous disasters (just look at any of them).
The 2nd verse explained how dear, sweet, not-so-innocent Holly got to this world...she ran out of "suckers" like Mark Knopfler who would put up their own money and their own connections to advance her career out of mis-placed Love. Only to find out that when their money dried up, so did her "love". Thus, she made the deal with the Vampires of Century City (Profiteers), and in their world, they don't play within the boundaries of the law, they'll take everything off of your "merry-go-round", including your head.
The 3rd verse likely referred to the "new crowd" that she was hanging with within this owned and twisted culture...they were in longer and deeper than her, thus, they were even "faster" and more vile...using up everything that came into their pathway...leaving all sorts of "stains" and tears on the newbie "clowns" on their way out of town.
The 4th verse is where the song gets much, much more intense both musically and lyrically. Knopfler is describing a real or imagined visit with Holly in LA where the realities of her world (a small cell with bars) were becoming more and more obvious to her; thus, she was "busy trying to clear her name" by BLAMING everyone else for their "failed love", which was typical for her character. All the while, the walls of her bower were further closing in.
This verse segued musically into one last lighter "side show" before Knopfler's EPIC final verse. Here, he described her reality where the people that she was using in LA were having to come to her for help...not a great setup...and this segue helped to paint the final picture of Holly...desperate and ready to get her "just rewards" from those in Century City that she could NEVER REPAY...
The final verse saw Knopfler laying out the harsh and COLD reality for those who play with the devil and then don't produce..."you know what they say about beggars baby, you don't get to complain about the rules". Knopfler then took the next 4 lines to remind us that all these "star-seekers" create their own realities thru their actions...she wasn't an innocent, she was culpable for what was coming. And whether you sell your soul in Hollywood, Century City, Silicone City, or in NY on Tin Pan Alley, you get the SAME TREATMENT BY THOSE WHO OWN OUR SOCIETY...you will be "raped" again and again by this system whose demands never end...just ask Mark Zuckerberg and the gang at Facebook...as they lie and lie and lie to their "valued customers" while having the "big dick" of the CIA rammed up their backside.
And just how timely is this song by Knopfler? Look no further than to yesterday when CON-YA West finally broke down and spilled the beans about the world that he and we live within...one built upon FEAR and LIES...the Illusion! This is why Knopfler named the album, LOVE OVER GOLD, because the ONLY answer for us ever conquering the ruling elites is through the vibration of LOVE. When we refuse to fight their wars of greed, when we refuse to hate one another thru their little games of divide and conquer, when we no longer listen to their Mainstream Media of subterfuge, we will ALL come to see just how fooled we have all been...me, you and Holly Vincent too...
Thanks for reading.
@CharlieFreak Great interpretation!