I hear the rain. I hear the rain.
I hear the rain.
Got to kill the pain.
I hear the rain. I hear the rain.
I hear the rain.
Got to kill the pain.

Burry me out on a lone prarie.
Prarie water washin' over me.
Burry me out on a lone prarie.
A friend who calls a coyote.

Burry me out in the lone city.
Sewer water color of my tea.
Burry me out in the lone city.
Sewer water wash we all down to sea.

She use to sit and watch and wait.
Now I think I'll go and sit.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to the Violent Femmes’ “I Hear the Rain” depict a person’s attempt to cope with pain and sadness by listening to the rain. The repetition of “I hear the rain” creates a sense of obsession, highlighting the singer’s dependence on this sound to help them manage their suffering: “Got to kill the pain.” The desire to numb oneself from emotional pain is further emphasized by the two seemingly opposite settings in the following lines: a lone prairie and a lone city. In both places, the singer imagines being buried where they will be washed over or down by water that should offer renewal but instead symbolizes a loss of hope.

Moreover, the reference to a friend who calls a coyote in the first verse and the change in the singer’s actions in the final lines are also significant. The mention of a friend who calls a coyote might be seen as a metaphor for the singer’s call for death or perhaps a reference to death as a relief from their pain (as coyotes are sometimes perceived as bringing death). In the final lines, the singer decides to go and sit (like the person who used to watch and wait) which might be seen as a form of surrender—resigning oneself to the present situation and stopping the search for meaning or joy. Therefore, “I Hear the Rain” portrays a bleak state of mind and represents a search for escape, whether it is through death or simply withdrawing from life.

Line by Line Meaning

I hear the rain. I hear the rain. I hear the rain.
The singer hears the sound of rain and repeats it to reinforce the idea.

Got to kill the pain.
The singer needs a way to alleviate emotional or physical pain.

Burry me out on a lone prarie.
The singer wishes to be buried in the nature away from the city.

Prarie water washin' over me.
The artist imagines the water of the prairie washing over their body.

A friend who calls a coyote.
The artist finds comfort in the presence of a friend even if it is a wild animal.

Burry me out in the lone city.
The singer wishes to be buried in the city which is a lonesome place for them.

Sewer water color of my tea.
The singer compares the color of the water in the sewer to that of their tea.

Sewer water wash we all down to sea.
The artist reflects on the human destiny of ending up in the sea just like the sewer water.

She use to sit and watch and wait.
In the past, someone used to sit and wait.

Now I think I'll go and sit.
The artist decides to emulate the other person and sit and wait.

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