Crying in the Rain
Andre Andersen Lyrics
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[Bonus track]
A black cat moans
When he's burning with the fever
A stray dog howls
When he's lonely in the night
A woman goes crazy
But a man starts weeping
Whe he's sick and tired of life
I keep on dreaming dreams of tomorrow
Feel I'm wasting my time
Lighting candles in the wind
Always taking my chances
On the promise of the future
But a heart full of sorrow
Paints a lonely tapestry
The sun is shining
But it's raining in my heart
No one understands the heartache
No one feels the pain
'Cos no one ever sees the tears
When you're crying in the rain
I can never deny
All the sweet things I have tasted
Tho' I've been mistreated
I keep coming back for more
I know where I'm going
There's no hope of absolution
I can't seem to separate
The good times from the bad
The opening lines of Andre Andersen's song Crying in the Rain, originally by David Coverdale (Whitesnake), are a lament on the nature of pain, and how it affects different creatures in different ways. The images created by the lyrics are evocative: the black cat moans while burning with a fever, the stray dog howls in loneliness at night, and a woman goes crazy with the thought of retribution. But the line that lands most poignantly is that "a man starts weeping when he's sick and tired of life." This is a lyric that speaks to the depression and despair that some people feel when they just can't take it anymore.
The second stanza moves from the external pain of animals to the internal pain of humans. The singer of the song starts dreaming of tomorrow, but feels like they're wasting their time. They continue lighting candles in the wind, always taking chances on the promise of the future, but can't escape the pain and sorrow that fills their heart. The sun might be shining, but it's raining in their heart. The chorus repeats the title phrase, broadening the scope of the song to include all those who feel heartache and pain, regardless of their circumstances. The singer knows where they're going, but there's no hope of absolution. The good times and the bad blur together, and they can't seem to separate them anymore.
Line by Line Meaning
A black cat moans
When someone is burning with a fever, they make a pitiful noise that is heard as a moan
When he's burning with the fever
The cat is sick and is moaning due to high body temperature
A stray dog howls
When a dog is alone and feels left out, it expresses its loneliness through howling
When he's lonely in the night
The dog is alone and sad, and begins howling in the nighttime
A woman goes crazy
A woman loses her mind and becomes overwhelmed
With the thought of retribution
She is consumed by thoughts of taking revenge on someone who has wronged her
But a man starts weeping
A man starts to cry uncontrollably
When he's sick and tired of life
When a man is exhausted by life's challenges and hardships, he breaks down and cries.
I keep on dreaming dreams of tomorrow
I always have high hopes for the future
Feel I'm wasting my time
I feel like I'm not moving forward or progressing
Lighting candles in the wind
I am doing things that are ultimately futile and will not achieve anything
Always taking my chances
I am always hopeful and optimistic about the future
On the promise of the future
I believe that the future holds true potentials and possibilities
But a heart full of sorrow
Even though I have hope, my heart is heavy with sadness
Paints a lonely tapestry
My sadness creates an isolated and sad picture
The sun is shining
The weather is fair and pleasant
But it's raining in my heart
I'm sad and hurting on the inside despite the good conditions outside
No one understands the heartache
Nobody can comprehend the level of pain I'm going through
No one feels the pain
Nobody can feel the discomfort caused by my emotions
'Cos no one ever sees the tears
Nobody is really aware of how deeply I'm hurting; my tears go unnoticed
When you're crying in the rain
When I'm hurting and upset about things beyond my control, it feels like everything is falling apart
I can never deny
I cannot ignore the good things I have experienced or my past successes
All the sweet things I have tasted
I have had good and satisfying moments in my past
Tho' I've been mistreated
Despite being mistreated before
I keep coming back for more
I still maintain a sense of hope and do not give up on life easily
I know where I'm going
I have a sense of direction or purpose for my life
There's no hope of absolution
Nevertheless, I am not free of guilt or sorrow which is a part of being human
I can't seem to separate
It is challenging for me to distinguish good moments from the bad ones
The good times from the bad
It is not easy for me to differentiate between pleasure and pain.
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.