The Guess Who are from Winnipeg, Canada. Every verse in Rain Dance has a connection to Winnipeg. I don't recall what every verse means or refers to but Fifi is a reference to Eiffel Tower Bakery and Don is a reference to Don's Bakery which were two Winnipeg landmarks. "Where'd you get the gun, John?", refers to John Gunn school in Winnipeg. John Gunn, I believe, was a local politician. Not sure why but there was controversy over naming the school after Mr. Gunn. I am positive it has nothing to do with murder or suicide. Winnipeg was experiencing flooding back in the 60's. A Floodway (aka Duff's ditch) was built at great expense. Almost immediately after completion, a drought hit Winnipeg. The citizens began joking that they would be doing a rain dance to end the drought in order to get some use/value out of the Floodway.
@wardog That's a confusing song. I spent time over the last 50 years thinking WTF. Burton Cummings posted in 2024. Kurt Winter was playing the rain dance line on the piano, over and over. John was his duck hunting neighbor, cleaning his shotgun on the porch. "Changing just a few things" was a line he'd had earlier and the rest was made up in the 25 minutes it took to write. (Sometimes a song is just a song; a bit disappointing.)
@wardog That's a confusing song. I spent time over the last 50 years thinking WTF. Burton Cummings posted in 2024. Kurt Winter was playing the rain dance line on the piano, over and over. John was his duck hunting neighbor, cleaning his shotgun on the porch. "Changing just a few things" was a line he'd had earlier and the rest was made up in the 25 minutes it took to write. (Sometimes a song is just a song; a bit disappointing.)
The Guess Who are from Winnipeg, Canada. Every verse in Rain Dance has a connection to Winnipeg. I don't recall what every verse means or refers to but Fifi is a reference to Eiffel Tower Bakery and Don is a reference to Don's Bakery which were two Winnipeg landmarks. "Where'd you get the gun, John?", refers to John Gunn school in Winnipeg. John Gunn, I believe, was a local politician. Not sure why but there was controversy over naming the school after Mr. Gunn. I am positive it has nothing to do with murder or suicide. Winnipeg was experiencing flooding back in the 60's. A Floodway (aka Duff's ditch) was built at great expense. Almost immediately after completion, a drought hit Winnipeg. The citizens began joking that they would be doing a rain dance to end the drought in order to get some use/value out of the Floodway.
@wardog Thanks! As a side note, guns are illegal in Canada.
@wardog Thanks! As a side note, guns are illegal in Canada.
@wardog As another side note guns are NOT illegal in Canada.
@wardog As another side note guns are NOT illegal in Canada.
@wardog That's a confusing song. I spent time over the last 50 years thinking WTF. Burton Cummings posted in 2024. Kurt Winter was playing the rain dance line on the piano, over and over. John was his duck hunting neighbor, cleaning his shotgun on the porch. "Changing just a few things" was a line he'd had earlier and the rest was made up in the 25 minutes it took to write. (Sometimes a song is just a song; a bit disappointing.)
@wardog That's a confusing song. I spent time over the last 50 years thinking WTF. Burton Cummings posted in 2024. Kurt Winter was playing the rain dance line on the piano, over and over. John was his duck hunting neighbor, cleaning his shotgun on the porch. "Changing just a few things" was a line he'd had earlier and the rest was made up in the 25 minutes it took to write. (Sometimes a song is just a song; a bit disappointing.)