When there's lightning, you know it always brings me down
'Cause it's free and I see that it's me
Who's lost and never found
I cry out for magic, I feel it dancing in the light
It was cold, I lost my hold
To the shadows of the night

No sign of the morning coming
You've been left on your own
Like a rainbow in the dark
A rainbow in the dark

Do your demons, do they ever let you go?
When you've tried, do they hide, deep inside
Is it someone that you know
You're just a picture, you're an image caught in time
We're a lie, you and I
We're words without a rhyme

There's no sign of the morning coming
You've been left on your own
Like a rainbow in the dark
Just a rainbow in the dark, yeah

When I see lightning, you know it always brings me down
'Cause it's free and I see that it's me
Who's lost and never found
Feel the magic, I feel it floating in the air
But it's fear, and you'll hear
It calling you beware

Look out
There's no sight of the morning coming
There's no sight of the day
You've been left on your own
Like a rainbow
Like a rainbow in the dark, yeah
You're a rainbow in the dark
Just a rainbow in the dark
No sign of the morning
You're a rainbow in the dark


Lyrics submitted by zekey baby

Rainbow in the Dark Lyrics as written by Ronnie James Dio Jimmy Bain

Lyrics © VINCENT APPICE D/B/A APPICE MUSIC, Downtown Music Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Rainbow In The Dark song meanings
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82 Comments

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  • +10
    General Comment

    About rejection. Whoever said abandonent, I agree with them. Scientifically, a rainbow cannot exist without sunlight so a rainbow in the dark is impossible. It's about lonliness.

    Smokleron September 02, 2006   Link
  • +7
    General Comment

    rainbow + dark + nothingness. thus it's Dio's ode of solitude.

    slamkingon April 12, 2006   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    A very poetic song about abandonment, typical of Dio's excellent writing style.

    Dreamer Deceiveron December 10, 2004   Link
  • +5
    General Comment

    I thought that at first to, but really if you think about it, what could be more lost than a rainbow in the dark, there are no rainbows when its dark, therefore you must really be lost. And common, RJ Dio is hardcore.

    Tyrant_19on January 06, 2006   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    This song is not about being gay or anything of that sort. Dio was simply finding a dramatic image and a rainbow coming out of pitch black would be very dramatic. Thats Dio's style. Plus, in the early 80s, the rainbow was most likely not popularly associated with homosexuality. Anyways, good song, bland lyrics, but they are delivered extremely well, which makes up for the lack of much depth.

    ExcessAuroraon February 25, 2006   Link
  • +3
    My Interpretation

    I think is a song about the feelings caused by depression and how lost you feel when you're depressed. It's a very personal interpretation, because I've felt that way and currently I'm also experiencing those feelings. A good way to describe how really I feel... is "like a rainbow in the dark". If you read closer, some of the lyrics are pretty descriptive:

    "I cry out for magic, I feel it dancing in the light"

    • Because you see the happiness everywhere, but you can't feel it... sometimes, you think "magic" could solve all your problems and give you a relief.

    "There's no sign of the morning coming You've been left on your own Like a rainbow in the dark A rainbow in the dark"

    • Because you can't see anything good coming. You're drowned in darkness and tend to isolate or grow apart from your friends or family because they can't understand how you're really feeling... or even they're the ones that left you alone. Soon you become a "rainbow in the dark" and as science and most of you say "a rainbow can't exitst without sunlight" so it's a metaphor for a depressed person, who can't see they're a "rainbow" and is surrounded by darkness at the point they feel like they don't exist or don't want to exist anymore.

    "Do your demons, do they ever let you go When you've tried, do they hide, deep inside Is it someone that you know"

    • With "demons" I think about the addictions, suicidal thoughts or self-harm. Most depressed people try to find ways to avoid their reality and sometimes, they're not the best. Personally, I self-harm and sometimes I want to stop, but I can't. I feel like "my demons are not letting me to go".

    "You're just a picture, just an image caught in time" Yes, because you can't even recognize yourself. You've faded and now you feel empty, you aren't the same anymore.

    "Feel the magic, feel it floating in the air But it's fear, and you'll hear It calling you beware"

    • And this is when everyone says "try, be happy... it gets better, this will come to an end and you will be fine... good things are coming for you" but you can't believe it, you can't feel it. The magic is there, they all can see and feel it but you don't. All you feel is fear and you feel like you can't face the light again.

    "No sign of the morning You're a rainbow in the dark"

    • You see no hope anymore.
    iskraon November 29, 2014   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    could it be about ritchie blackmore ????

    david93566on May 29, 2015   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song blows the doors off of "Holy Diver" if you ask me. The keyboard riff is very simple but provides a great dark atmospher, Vivian Cambell pulls off some great riffs and solos, and well Dio's voice is awesome as always.

    I'm not sure the song is really about anything in particular, but at least it's pretty well written.

    Muzzyon April 09, 2004   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i think rainbow in the dark simply means his solitude and the ray of hope he have seen in this rainbow!!...it's kind of popy but its great!!! and it's not as shallow as excessaurora thinks look carefully at the lyrics.. and the melody is awesome!

    S.C.Son February 28, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i think it has to do with abandonment and trying to finding hope

    flaminmofoon August 12, 2006   Link

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