10 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Looks Like Rain Lyrics
Awoke today, felt your side of the bed;
The covers were still warm where you been layin'.
You were gone, oh gone, my heart was filled with dread;
You might not be sleeping here again.
But it's alright cause I love you, and that's not going to change.
Run me around and make me hurt again and again.
But I'll still sing you love songs, written in the letters of your name.
The rain is gonna come, oh it surely looks like rain
Did you ever waken to the sound of street cats making love?
You guess from the cries you were listening to a fight.
Well you know, oh know, haste is the last thing they're thinking of
. You know they're only tryin' to make it thru the night.
I only want to hold you, I don't want to tie you down
Or fit you in the lines I might've drawn.
It's just that I, oh I, have gotten used to havin' you around.
The landscape would be empty, if you were gone;
But it's alright cause I love you, and that's not going to change.
Run me around and make me hurt again and again.
But I'll still sing you love songs, written in the letter of your name.
The rain is gonna come, oh it surely looks like rain.
The covers were still warm where you been layin'.
You were gone, oh gone, my heart was filled with dread;
You might not be sleeping here again.
But it's alright cause I love you, and that's not going to change.
Run me around and make me hurt again and again.
But I'll still sing you love songs, written in the letters of your name.
The rain is gonna come, oh it surely looks like rain
Did you ever waken to the sound of street cats making love?
You guess from the cries you were listening to a fight.
Well you know, oh know, haste is the last thing they're thinking of
. You know they're only tryin' to make it thru the night.
I only want to hold you, I don't want to tie you down
Or fit you in the lines I might've drawn.
It's just that I, oh I, have gotten used to havin' you around.
The landscape would be empty, if you were gone;
But it's alright cause I love you, and that's not going to change.
Run me around and make me hurt again and again.
But I'll still sing you love songs, written in the letter of your name.
The rain is gonna come, oh it surely looks like rain.
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
What a moving "end of a love-of-your-life" relationship song. If you have not felt the feelings expressed here, perhaps you have yet to experience the greatest love. My first Dead concerts were the Godchaux's era, and the versions I love best were the ones with Donna singing counter to Bobby Weir. Some of the endings to the song were exhilarating with Jerry wailing while they finished riffing with: "looks like rain, feels like rain, ohhh here comes the rain..." Check out the 1976 and 1977 versions.
Absolutely beautiful song. An excellent example of how music and lyrics in the Dead's songs can fit each other better than they do in any other band's work.
A song about the sudden realization of the end of a relationship with the singer realizes that the immediate future is not so pleasant.
I once read that in an interview Bob Weir noted that the songs opening chords are G-A-D-E-C Minor. Gadec Minor was the name of a girl Bob new well in Progue up until the Russians invaded Czeckoslovakia forcing him to leave the girl behind. Don't know if this is a 100% true but I love the imagery used by Barlow. The Dead were best to have some of the best story tellers between Barlow and Hunter to work with!!
if thats true then the ltters of your name part makes total sense
if thats true then the ltters of your name part makes total sense
Nope, the openin chords are E E7 A C#7 F#m
Nope, the openin chords are E E7 A C#7 F#m
I believe the GADEC part refers to the key changes in the song. Which makes this line make more sense, because you say a song is written "IN" a certain key. So, written "IN" the letters of your name.
I believe the GADEC part refers to the key changes in the song. Which makes this line make more sense, because you say a song is written "IN" a certain key. So, written "IN" the letters of your name.
Okay, this is many years later after the OP, but I thought I'd set the record straight. Bobby Weir's comment about Gadec Minor was a complete goof. Members of the Dead were spoofing interview with Al Franken and Tom Davis.
Okay, this is many years later after the OP, but I thought I'd set the record straight. Bobby Weir's comment about Gadec Minor was a complete goof. Members of the Dead were spoofing interview with Al Franken and Tom Davis.
I think that this song, especially in the band's later years, was a way for Bobby to vent his frustration with never having gotten married. You can really feel his anguish during the rant at the end of the song (particularly on a View from the Vault IV, but I'm sure in other performances of the song as well). Happily, Bobby did finally get married (in 1999 I believe), but when I saw The Dead play this song over the summer, it seemed to lack that same intensity and anguish that I remember from the View from the Vault days. Just a theory, I certainly wouldn't want to "fit this song into the lines I might've drawn."
I love the version on Without a net, with the lightning at the end!
I have just left a short and intense relationship with a girl I have held a flame for for 10-15 now. I'm 27 by the way. Within the first few days of getting with her this song seamed to jump out at me. I realized how many times I had skipped over it on different albums, bootlegs, etc. Within that first few days with her I grew to love the song. I played it for her and she loved it too. We both knew that certain things in our lives made it impossible for us to be together. The whole time we were enjoying and discussing this song I think we were both discussing the fact that we would soon go our separate ways.
I was in deeper in love with her than was safe for either of us. She was the bigger person about it and put an end to things to spare both of us heartache.
I have since (last few days) listened to this song many more times. Rain is tears. Written in the letters of your name grabs me. I read another comment explaining that the line might have been literal. That sounds very believable but there is some meaning to me that I have not nailed down yet. In reference to another comment I have heard some versions of this song that didn't make me feel Bobby's pain. Others I am torn up at how hurt he sounds.
Last thing, if you have ever had to let go of a person you were absolutely in love with you can relate to "Run me around and make me hurt again and again." Feeling hurt by that person sometimes seems better than not having them with you.
This song makes me cry. It makes me think of my old friend and how much I loved him. And how not having him a part of my life is heart wrenching.
I miss him. I love this song.
I saw an interview fairly recently, either from TRI or from the documentary "The Other One," in which Bob Weir is talking about Janis Joplin and Pigpen, and how loud Janis would scream, "Daddy daddy daddy!" when they were having sex. One of the others present said to Bob he always thought this was the inspiration for the lines about "street cats makin' love." Bob did not confirm nor deny.
I have always connected with this song. Whether it being losing the only woman I ever truly loved or the passing of my best friend, my mentor, my uncle. Taking the “fit you in the lines I might have drawn” as ‘permission’ to apply it to losing not a lover but a loved one. There is no band now, was not one in the past, nor will there be one in the future that could speak to me like the dead have always done! No matter where my head is there’s a song or even just a lyric that connects so wonderfully!