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Rain On The Pretty Ones Lyrics

I'm the hunter who's killed by his dog
I'm the statue burnt down into lead
I'm the problem you don't want to solve
I'm the lover who dies in his bed

So rain on the pretty ones
Your useless lives don't speak to us
Rain on the pretty ones
You leave no footprints in the dust
Adventurous you used to be
But now you seem so dead to me

I'm the doctor with a needle in his arm
I'm the cartoon that makes you feel sad
I'm the secret that everyone has
I'm the cancer that never turns black

So rain on the pretty ones
Your useless lives don't speak to us
Rain on the pretty ones
You leave no footprints in the dust
Adventurous you used to be
But now you seem so dead to me

I'm the actor who's scared to perform
I'm the sunshine that hides in the clouds
I'm the father that couldn't be found
I'm the cuckoo that never flew south
I'm the Christian that cannot forgive
I'm the dreamer who jumps off the bridge
I'm the sinner who hates how he lives
I'm the liar who gets what he gives
3 Meanings

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Cover art for Rain On The Pretty Ones lyrics by Ed Harcourt

I think it's about the tragedies of life, contradictions, ambiguity, loss, fear, death. When he sings: Rain on the pretty ones, you leave no footprints in the dust. In a way it's about these "pretty" and "perfect" people who haven't experienced struggle and who haven't "lived" truly and fully. Life is not only about happiness and perfect shiny facades, it's also about failure, sadness, loss, fear... whitout experiencing hardship you can't really say that you have lived.

The title: "Rain on the pretty ones", to me, says: Well, since you are hollow and haven't been through any hardships in life, you don't really matter, you're not really human, soo rain on the pretty ones, rain on the perfect and happy people that are not aware of the true nature of life.

or something.... I don't know

My Interpretation

Fascinating, but wrong. Not one human has not been through loss, such as the death of a parent; friend; schoolmate; or the loss of an important relationships; reputation; career; etc. Not one has not held insecurities and fears. Not one has not felt doubt; sadness; anger; frustration; etc. There are NO shiny people. There are just fallible human beings who often hide their feelings from the world and only appear "pretty." It's arrogant to think that one person has more pain in his/her life than another. NOBODY knows what goes on behind closed doors...and big fascades.

What is wrong? My opinion/interpretation? I'm not stating that "pretty/happy" people haven't experienced pain. That's not the point. The point is that even though two people experience the exact same thing, they walk away from it with different outlooks. And of course there are "shiny" people in this world. People who have been served all their life, who have not really experienced that much expect from all that invovlves their own little bubble.

Cover art for Rain On The Pretty Ones lyrics by Ed Harcourt

I guess to me, this song is about not making assumptions, that when you least expect someone to be a certain way they are for example,"cartoon that makes you feel sad." You wouldn't expect these things to happen or for people to be this way but thats just they way they are, or we are sometimes. The pretty people are always praised, the good comics are always the ones that we laugh at but sometimes dont make a point. Just like the "pretty people" may seem pretty but they don't have anymore than that, they don't leave anything that makes you thing, just a pretty face, that isn't realistic that isn't living. I dont know thats what I got from this song, heck Im only 15 aha

Cover art for Rain On The Pretty Ones lyrics by Ed Harcourt

To me, the song feels like a break-up. The narrator has just been dumped and screams out to the world how he was betrayed. "I'm the hunter who's killed by his dog" says it all. His loyal friend turned agaist it, and towards the end he realizes that he's the one to blame. "I'm the liar who gets what he gives"

 
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