Pray for Rain Lyrics

Lyric discussion by ravesin 

Cover art for Pray for Rain lyrics by Massive Attack

I thought this song is about the cyclical rise and fall of a civilization.

deepest hollow of our mind symbolizes the intimate connection between the state of mind of the people and the state of the civilization.

System failure refers to a past greatness that came to an end.

Necks craning to pray for rain symbolizes the irrational and strong need for them to turn to something supernatural during dark times.

Shattered cloud of swirling doves meaning some shattered peace(perhaps peace of mind)

Eyes changing to see through flame tells of how the people adapted to the testing times

Third paragraph shows how wishes are slowly granted. Hearts and wings commence to beating Life starts to seep back into the system

Woods unseen with all believing (no idea)!

Vision walls fall all receding All hindrance to our ability to understand is receding

Drops on rocks come fast and fleeting Prayer answered

Rhythm laws unleash their meaning The mysteries of the laws governing our environment are unlocked

Usher us into the dreaming The civilization is in a utopian state

All unending all completing The feeling of completeness is seemingly unending

Vision walls fall all revealing All understanding comes to us

The music that plays here symbolizes this Utopian state

The last paragraph is what makes the process cyclical. The last paragraph is a mixture of the first and second and is not exactly the same symbolizing the same state reached in a different point in time. (the fall of the civilization)

Song Meaning

actually deepest hollow of mind says that the memory of the past greatness resides in the far corners of our memory

This is a very interesting and insightful interpretation. I think there is a parallel between your analysis and my own assessment of the song as being about the psychedelic experience: Transcendence. Ultimately, whether you interpret the song as being about individual subjective experience, or humanity as a whole, it still comes back to the same fundamental concept.

"Woods unseen with all believing" - I think this is a reference to the rhetorical question of whether a tree makes an unobserved sound.

@ravesin Great stuff. Agreed with most of it. To me, though, the "hearts and wings commence to beating" is a reference the polarized reception of prayers half-answered. It rained but sparsely. That would reignite the faith of some but would cause others to abandon their faith and location. So, to me, the reference to unseen woods is the hope in a better place- either from the notion of the passing of the current or (maybe) the cynic's hope that at least there could be a better place with more sustenance here on Earth, away from the tribe (and where...